Radiation-induced graft copolymerization of styrene with acrylonitrile at high dose rate

A cell for studying the radiation-induced graft polymerization at high dose rate was designed and made. The comparative investigation of the radiation-induced graft copolymerization of styrene with acrylonitrile onto polyethylene film was performed at dose rates 8.10-2, 102, 103 and 6.103 Gy/s; both pure monomers and their solutions in methylene chloride and hexamethylphosphortriamide were used. The dependence of graft copolymer composition on the comonomer composition and on the nature of the solvent as well as copolymerization reactivity ratios confirm the realization of graft polymerization with essential contribution of the ionic mechanism at high dose rate. (author)