PREPARATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF CELLULOSE GLYCIDYL METHACRYLATE ACRYLIC-ACID CATION-EXCHANGE COMPOSITES

Acrylic acid (AA)/glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) mixtures were bulk polym erized in the presence of cellulose in order to prepare cellulose/GMA/ AA cation exchange composites using sodium persulfate as an oxidant, a lone or in conjunction with sodium sulfite, sodium thiosulfate, sodium metabisulfite or glucose as a reductant. The presence of the reductan t has the effect of shortening the polymerization time, expressed as t he solidification time (ST), with little improvement in the polymeriza tion extent, expressed as percentage total conversion (%TC), as well a s the percentage yield and the carboxyl content of the crude and the p urified composites. Sodium sulfite was selected as the the reductant t hat can achieve best polymerization. The effect of the concentrations of ''sodium persulfate/sodium sulfite, redox system, acrylic acid and glycidyl methacrylate'' and temperature on the formation of the compos ite were investigated. Four cation exchange composites were prepared a nd characterized by investigating their potentiometric titration, wate r solubility and swellability as well as durability.