Novel additives including charge-transfer complexes in grafting of methyl methacrylate to polypropylene, cellulose and wool, initiated by ionizing radiation and UV: significance of these studies in analogous curing processes

Photoinitiators recently developed for UV curing of pigmented finishes have been used to accelerate the grafting of a typical acrylate monomer, methyl methacrylate (MMA), to a variety of backbone polymers, cellulose, wool and polypropylene (PPE). Both UV and gamma-radiation sources have been used to initiate reaction. Novel charge-transfer (CT) monomer complexes involving electron rich donors (D) and electron poor accepters (A) have also been use d as additives in these reactions. The DA complexes themselves have been di rectly grafted to cellulose to produce unique copolymers. Mechanisms for th e above grafting processes are proposed. The significance of this grafting work in analogous radiation curing is discussed. (C) 1999 Society of Chemic al Industry.