Craft polymerization of methyl methacrylate onto radiation-peroxidized ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene in the presence of metallic salt and acid

Using a radiation peroxide grafting technique, a ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) stored at room temperature for 10 days after irradia tion in air was graft copolymerized with methyl methacrylate (MMA) in the p resence of metallic salt and acid. The MMA-grafted UHMWPE samples were anal yzed by measuring Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy in attenuated tot al reflectance (FTIR-ATR) and by electron spectroscopy for chemical analysi s (ESCA). The 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrzyl (DPPH) technique was utilized to evaluate the concentration of peroxide formed in the peroxidized UHMWPE sa mples by counting the quantity of DPPH consumed from the reaction of peroxi de radicals with DPPH. It was shown that the inclusion of an FeSO4. 7H(2)O and sulfuric acid in MMA grafting solutions was extremely beneficial and le d to a most unusual synergistic effect in the radiation-peroxidized graftin g. (C) 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.