DYEING, MOISTURE REGAIN AND MECHANICAL-PROPERTIES OF WOOL FABRIC GRAFTED WITH PMMA BY CHEMICAL AND RADIATION-INITIATED METHODS

PMMA polymer has been grafted onto wool fabric by two methods of graft ing preirradiation method and chemical initiation using KMnO4/H2SO4 sy stem. The grafted wool showed an enhancement in dyeability towards som e basic dyes differing in size and chemical structure. Preirradiated g rafted wool exhibited a relatively higher dyeing affinity than that pr epared by the chemical method. Graft yield of up to 26% of PPMA did no t have a noticeable effect on the moisture regain of wool fabric. Furt her increase in graft yield was found to cause a slight reduction in m oisture regain. The tensile strength was reduced by the graft process, but elongation at break was not affected.