Grafting Vinyl Monomers onto Nylon 6 Fiber. II. Graft Copolymerization of Methyl Methacrylate onto Nylon 6 Fiber by Photoirradiation in the Presence of Fructose

Abstract

Photopolymerization of methyl methacrylate (MMA) onto nylon 6 fiber by UV radiation in alcoholic solutions of water-methanol, water-ethanol, and water-n-propanol in the presence of fructose was investigated. The effects of monomer concentration, time of polymerization, fructose concentration, and effect of media have also been studied. Graft add-on (GAO) % greatly enhanced with an increase in monomer concentration and time. With fructose concentration it increases up to 15 mmol/L of fructose and thereafter falls. The GAO in the media is in the following order: W + M + F > W + E + F > W + P + F(W = water; M = methanol; E = ethanol; P = n-propanol). A probable mechanism has been suggested. It appears that the active site is formed on MMA which abstracts an H-atom from the nylon 6 backbone, giving rise to graft of MMA by mutual combination.