Photoinitiated Polymerization of Methacrylamide with Cotton Cellulose

Abstract

Unsensitized, photoinitiated copolymerization of methacrylamide with cotton cellulose, using 3500Å light, is reported. The extent of copolymerization was dependent on irradiation time and monomer concentration. Photopolymerization was almost totally inhibited when irradiation was conducted in the presence of oxygen, for example, in air. The moisture regains of cotton-poly(methacrylamide) fabric copolymers increased with increased polymer content. The copolymers were stable to hot water; however, on trea'tment of the copolymers with sodium hydroxide solutions, a fraction of the amide groups was converted to carboxyl groups. The fabric copolymers had elongations-at-break slightly greater than that of untreated cotton and retained about 90% of the breaking strength and 70% of the tearing strength of untreated cotton even at the highest polymer add-on.

Keywords

Photoinitiated unsensitized cololymerization irradiation time oxygen methacrylamide. Cotton-fabric cotton- poly(methacrylamide) copolymers hydrolysis pickup fabric properties moisture regain.

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