Radiation-induced graft copolymerization of mixtures of styrene and acrylamide onto cellulose acetate. III. A kinetic study

The kinetics of graft copolyermization of styrene and acrylamide from their binary monomer mixtures onto gamma-irradiated cellulose acetate film was studied. The extent of grafting increased with a rise in reaction time and temperature. The nature of the radical site on the trunk polymer was acertained in a study of grafting at different temperatures when the trunk polymer was irradiated in the presence and absence of oxygen. The character of the radical was tested further in a study of the ESR spectrum. The variation in grafting rates and energies of activation required for graft copolyermization at various mole ratios of the monomers was observed. The grafting rates showed a maximum at 1:1 mol ratio of monomers which was also associated with minimum energy of activation. The Kk_t values in the system were dependent on the composition of monomers.