Acetone-initiated photografting of methacrylic acid on low-density polyethylene film in water solvent

• Published in: European polymer journal 2000-08, Vol.36 (8), p.1591-1595
• Main Authors: Liqun, Zhao, Irwan, Ginting Suka, Kondo, Takashi, Kubota, Hitoshi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acetone-initiated photografting; Low-density polyethylene film; Methacrylic acid; pH-responsive character
• ISSN: 0014-3057; 1873-1945
• DOI: 10.1016/S0014-3057(99)00222-0

The effect of acetone on photografting of methacrylic acid (MAA) on low-density polyethylene (PE) film (thickness=30 μm) was investigated at 60°C in water solvent. A maximum percentage of grafting was afforded at a certain concentration of acetone, while the percentage of homopolymer decreased with increasing the acetone concentration (3–40 vol%). The total conversion in the system also decreased with an increase in the acetone concentration. The graft efficiency was less than 35%, showing an easier formation of homopolymer. These results suggest that acetone in the system acts as a photoinitiator as well as a screening agent. The resulting MAA-grafted PE film was characterized by a homogeneous distribution of the grafted chains, which was measured by an attenuated reflection infrared spectroscopy and an electron probe microanalysis, and higher pH-responsive character compared to that prepared by photografting using xanthone photoinitiator, which had been coated on the film sample earlier.