Physical-chemical characterisation of acrylic polymers grafted on cellulose

An oxidative reaction of cellulose with sodium metaperiodate was performed. The oxidised groups were decomposed by treatment with UV light into free macroradicals. In the presence of acrylic monomers, in the vapour phase, these reactive sites become the starting points for the graft copolymerisation of the cellulose substrate. In this study we examined the graft yield as a function of the polymerisation time and the oxidation degree of cellulose. The grafted polymer was characterised using several analytical techniques, DSC analysis, GPC analysis, viscosity, FTIR and C-13 CP-MAS. Information on the morphology of grafted chains with respect to the bulk cellulose was obtained, measuring the dynamic parameters in a careful C-13 CP- MAS NMR study. All proposed chemical reactions, if properly conducted, do not affect the crystallinity of cellulose and introduce only a very modest amount of oligomers, therefore they seem suitable for the consolidation and protection of precious cellulose based materials, which are of historical interest. (C) 2002 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd.