AQUEOUS ELECTROPOLYMERIZATION OF POLYACRYLAMIDE ONTO AS-4 GRAPHITE FIBERS

Constant current electropolymerization of acrylamide was initiated on the surfaces of AS-4 graphite fibers. Electropolymerization was performed using an aqueous solution of acrylamide dissolved in dilute sulfuric acid solution. The progress of electropolymerization was followed by measuring the weight of polyacrylamide deposited onto the surfaces of a unit weight of graphite fiber per unit time. The rate of electropolymerization was obtained from the slope of the linear region of the polymer weight gain vs. electropolymerization time curve. The rate of electropolymerization onto AS-4 graphite fiber surfaces was found to depend on the initial monomer concentration, sulfuric acid concentration, and current density raised to the powers of 1.67, 0.02, 0.54, respectively. Molecular weight measurements on the electropolymerized polyacrylamide were done by solution viscometry. Number average molecular weights of 430,000, 220,000, and 193,000 were obtained for polyacrylamide, electropolymerized at 1 mA/g, 50 mA/g, and 100 mA/g respectively, consistent with classical radical polymerization kinetics.