Synthesis and Characterization of Reactive Graft Copolymers of Poly(butyl Acrylate) and Cellulose

Butyl acrylate was graft copolymerized onto cellulose extracted from pine needles by a simultaneous gamma radiation initiation method. Optimum conditions for the maximum graft yield were established. Polymerization and grafting parameters such as %grafting (P _g ), % grafting efficiency (%GE), rates of polymerization (R _p ), homopolymerization (R _h ) and graft copolymerization (R _g ) were also determined. Grafted cellulose was further functionalized to produce poly(acryloyl hydroxylamine) [Cell-g-poly(CONHOH)] so as to generate active (-CONHOH) groups on the cellulose backbone. Graft copolymers were characterized by elemental analysis, by FT-IR and by a swelling study. An attempt was also made to study the sorption of Fe ⁺² and Cu ⁺² as model metal ions onto the candidate copolymers, in order to investigate their selectivity in metal ion sorption and to determine the effect on metal ion sorption of the structural aspects of the hydrogels and other functionalized graft copolymers, so as to identify their end-uses.