Grafting of polyethylene films with acrylic acid and acrylonitril using gamma radiation

Acrylic acid (AAc) and acrylonitrile (AN) and their binary mixtures were graft copolymerized onto low density polyethylene (LDPE) films using gamma irradiation. The effects of different parameters on the graft yield were studies such as monomer concentration, inhibitor concentration, and irradiation dose. The obtained grafted films were characterized using FTIR spectroscopy, thermal gravimetry, and differential scanning calorimetry. Water uptake and the ion uptake were also evaluated, and the ability of grafted films to uptake heavy ions such as Ni2+ and Cu2+ was discussed. (author)