Pre-irradiation-induced vapor phase graft polymerization of acrylonitrile onto polyethylene nonwoven fabric

Acrylonitrile (AN) monomer was grafted onto polyethylene (PE) non-woven fabric via γ-ray pre-irradiation vapor phase graft polymerization. The grafting ratio (r_G) of the PE-g-PAN non-woven fabric was calculated by the weighing method. The effects of temperature, time, and absorbed dose on r_G of the PE-g-PAN non-woven fabric were studied. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and tension analyses were performed. Contact angle measurement revealed that grafting with AN slightly increased the contact angle of the modified PE-g-PAN nonwoven fabric. Irradiation significantly reduced the mechanical properties of the PE non-woven fabric, while grafting of AN had little effect on its mechanical properties. (authors)