Graft copolymerization: A kinetic study

In the present investigation, the pre-swollen nylon-6 fibers was graft copolymerized with different concentrations of monomer (methyl methactylate (MMA)) and initiator (benzoyl peroxide (BPO)) at three different temperatures viz. 600, 700 and 80degreesC for different reaction times. It was found that the percentage grafting of MMA onto nylon-6 fibers increased from 6.0 to 15.1 per cent with initiator concentration ranging between 0.826 x 10(-3) to 3.31 x 10(-3) mol/lit at fixed concentration of monomer i.e. 5.63 x 10(-1) mol/lit whereas the percentage grafting increased from 1.8 per cent to 24.4 per cent with monomer concentration ranging between 1.18 x 10(-1) to 7.51 x 10(-1) mol/lit at fixed concentration i.e. 2.48 x 10(-3) mol/lit at 70degreesC for 1.20 minutes. The grafting was also found to be increased from 5.2 to 24.9 as the reaction time was increased from 120 to 180 minutes, respectively. The maximum grafting was obtained at [MMA] = 5.64 x 10(-1) mol/litm [BPO] = 2.48 x 10(-3) mol/lit reaction time = 120 and reaction temperature = 70degreesC. Further, it was predicted that the grafting of MMA onto nylon-6 fibers followed R-p = k[BPO](1.11)[MMA](1.02) reaction rate kinetics.