Graft Copolymerization of Monomer Mixtures Acrylonitrile/Ethyl Acrylate and Acrylonitrile/Methyl Methacrylate on Carboxymethyl Cellulose

Abstract

Graft copolymerizations of acrylonitrile/ethyl methacrylate and acrylonitrile/methyl methacrylate monomer mixtures on carboxy methyl cellulose (d.s. 0.4–0.5) were studied in aqueous medium at 30°C using ceric ion as initiator. The amounts of the polymer grafted were measured as a function of the mole fraction of acrylonitrite in the feed. The compositions of the copolymer samples were obtained from their nitrogen contents. It was found that the presence of acrylonitilte in the polymerization system was associated with reductions (of up to 80%) in the amounts of polymer grafted; and that disproportionately low amounts of acrylonitrile monomeric units were incorporated into the graft copolymer even at relatively high acrylonitrile content of the feed.