Preparation of jute-plastic composite by the preirradiation method

The jute-plastic composite was prepared by shaking the preirradiated jute fibers (by gamma rays) in a deoxygenated aqueous methyl methacrylate (MMA) solution that contained surfactant and a homopolymer inhibitor, The total. dose, dose rate, monomer concentration, reaction time, and temperature were optimized; the jute fibers preirradiated at a 3-Mrad dose at a 100-krad/h dose rate yielded maximum MMA grafting under the above experimental conditions when the jute substrates were shaken for 3 h at 80 degrees C in a deoxygenated 10% MMA aqueous solution containing 1% nonionic surfactant and 0.2% homopolymerization inhibitor. The composite was characterized by infrared and differential scanning calorimetric analyses; the results revealed that preirradiated jute fibers were found to be grafted with MMA in the experimental conditions. The weathering effect and water absorption ability of the composite were determined and found that ungrafted jute samples lost both tenacity and stretchability by the weathering test, whereas the grafted jute samples retained strength (tenacity) even though these were subjected to a severe weathering test up to 105 h. The equilibrium moisture content sharply decreased with an increase in grafting up to the 15% grafting level, after which it was found to be very steady.