GRAFT COPOLYMERISATION OF ACRYLAMIDE ON CARBOXYMETHYL CELLULOSE (CMC)

Authors

University of Yaoundé I

Other authors

Abel Tame
J. Noah Ngamveng
Richard Mpon
Emmanuel Njungab

Abstract

Graft copolymers of acrylamide (AA) on unmodified holocellulose and holocellulose containing carboxy methyl moieties (of degree of substitution (DS): 0.215; 0.120 and 0.057) were prepared using Ce 4+ initiator in aqueous medium at 29°C. The results indicate that carboxymethylation enhances the graftability of the cellulose substrate. The graft levels and molecular weights of grafted polyacrylamide chains on CMC were higher than those obtained on cellulose. Increases in graft levels of up to 70% and 50% for graft copolymer involving CMC with DS 0.215 and 0.120 respectively were observed. The grafting frequencies of polyacrylamide were less on CMC (DS 0.215) than on CMC (DS 0.120) and on cellulose. This study provides information on the grafting characteristics of AA on CMC, a substrate of particular interest because of its wide range of applications. The influence of ceric ion concentration, degree of substitution of substrate, monomer concentration, time of reaction on the extent and rate of graft copolymerisation of AA unto modified and unmodified cellulose were examined.

Keywords

Maurice Kor Ndikontar