INTERPOLYELECTROLYTE REACTIONS BETWEEN POLYHEXAMETHYLENE GUANIDINE AND POLYACRYLIC-ACID GRAFTED ON CELLULOSE - A NEW METHOD FOR THE PREPARATION OF ANTIMICROBIAL FIBROUS MATERIAL

Iaterpolymer reactions of polyhexamethylene guanidine with polyacrylic acid and graft co-polymer of cellulose with polyacrylic acid or its s odium salt have been studied with the purpose of obtaining a bacterici dal cellulose fibrous material with preset properties. It has been fou nd that the kinetics of the interpolymer reactions and the composition of polyelectrolyte complexes are greatly influenced both by the confo rmation and structure of the cellulose grafted chains. There is signif icant correlation between the conditions of the interpolymer reaction, the molecular mass of polyhexamethylene guanidine, the composition of the resultant polyelectrolyte complexes, and their tolerance to alkal ine hydrolysis. The obtained cellulose material retains bacterial prop erties after many cycles of treatment in water-base solutions.