Graft Copolymerization of Acrylonitrile on Bleached Holocellulose

The mechanism by which ceric ions interact with cellulosic materials in the presence of vinyl monomers to initiate graft copolymer formation is generally believed to involve propagation by radicals generated on the cellulosic substrate 1–5]. However, the relatively high levels of homopolymerization and low efficiencies of grafting associated with graft copolymerization suggest that loci of initiation other than radicals formed on the cellulosic materials may be important in graft copolymerization 6].