Radiation grafting of acrylamide onto starch-filled low density polyethylene

Acrylamide (AAm) was grafted on the surface of starch-filled low density polyethylene (SLDPE) and low density polyethylene (LDPE) films by the mutual irradiation technique at doses from 0.75 to 5 kGy. The effect of dose, solvents and dihydroxybenzoquinone on the degree of grafting was studied by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and the weight measurement method of extracted films at a constant monomer concentration (10% w/w). An ultraviolet spectrophotometer was also used to elucidate the results of the above methods. Grafting on SLDPE and LDPE samples reaches a maximum followed by a slight decrease with increasing dose. A higher degree of grafting was obtained on SLDPE samples compared with that on LDPE. An induction period was observed in the case of the samples prepared in tetrahydrofuran (THF) as the solvent compared with those in chloroform. Addition of benzene to chloroform and THF (50% v/v) accelerates the rate of AAm grafting on the samples. Dihydroxybenzoquinone inhibits the grafting reactions of the samples especially in the THF solutions. The water uptake measurement of the samples correlates with the degree of grafting. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.