GRAFT COPOLYMERIZATION OF ACROLEIN ONTO RAYON AND CELLOPHANE

Abstract

The acetalization of aldehyde groups of polyacrolein is easily induced by the prosence of alcohols during radical polymerization of acrolein. It is noteworthy that the formation of acetal linkage betaween polyacrolen and cellulose proceeds at the same time in the graft copolymerization. The degree of swelling of rayon during the graft copolymerization influences the properties of grafted rayon to a great extent.
Mechanical properties of the acrolein grafted rayon in vapour phase were much improved than those of rayon grafted in the liquid phase. The tenacity of rayon grafted in vapour phase did not decrease with the increase of per cent of grafting.
Acrolein grafted rayon was treated with SO₂ for the purpose to obtain interchain linkage of cellulose. But mechanical properties of rayon were not so much improved as expected.