Contribution to the radiation-induced grafting of acrylonitrile and glycolmetacrylate to polypropylene

The preparation of radiation-induced, grafted copolymers of acrylonitrile (AN) and glycolmetacrylate (GMC) with polypropylene (PP) is described. Powdered, granulated or foils of polypropylene was used as the base polymer. The dose rate of irradiation was 4.5 kGy.h-1. The proof for the formation of the copolymer was obtained by means of IR spectroscopy and the copolymers were studied by thermal analysis. The efficiency of the copolymerization depends upon the surface area of the base polymer, and the percentage of the newly formed polymer (F) decreases in the order: PP-foil PP-powder PP-granules. When a solvent in which PP swells was used, the maximum F reached was below 4%. The maximum sorption capacity of the PP-GMC copolymer for water vapours is 1.2%, compared to 0.01% to 0.01% for PP. (T.I.)