CELLULOSE POLYACRYLONITRILE BLENDS .2. EFFECT OF GRAFT COPOLYMER ON THE PHASE PROPERTIES IN DIMETHYLACETAMIDE LICL/

The effect of a graft copolymer based on cellulose (CE) and polyacrylo nitrile (PAN) on the compatibility of the two homopolymers in solution was analysed. Samples of copolymers containing different proportions of CE and PAN were synthesized. In order to reduce the degradation of the cellulose chain we tested different synthetic routes. After extrac tion of PAN homopolymer, the reaction products were composed of pure C E and copolymer; the percentage of PAN with respect to the total weigh t varied between 13 and 32.2%. A significant increase in compatibility was obtained by using graft copolymers in mixtures with the homopolym ers, as evident from both ternary phase diagrams and morphology of sol ution-cast films. Moreover, solutions containing the graft copolymer s howed a liquid crystalline phase at high concentration.