Grafting of methyl methacrylate to cellulose and polypropylene with UV andionising radiation in the presence of additives including CT complexes

Detailed studies of the grafting of polar methyl methacrylate (MMA) to two representative backbone polymers, cellulose and polypropylene (PPE) in the presence of additives, using ionising radiation and UV as initiating source s, are reported. The results are compared with analogous grafting work with non polar styrene previously studied. The additives chosen for examination were predominantly components used in radiation curing formulations since grafting and curing are known to be mechanistically related. The additives were mineral acid, photoinitiators, vinyl ethers, oligomers, polyfunctional monomers including multifunctional acrylates (MFAs) and methacrylates (MFM As). For the first time charge transfer (CT) monomer complexes have been us ed as additives in the current work. The CT complexes themselves, being mon omers, have also been directly radiation grafted to cellulose. Mechanisms f or the above grafting processes are proposed. The significance of this graf ting work in analogous radiation curing is discussed. The grafting of the C T complexes, themselves, is shown to lead to new copolymers with potential industrial applications. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved .