Cationic starch–polyacrylonitrile graft copolymer latexes

Acrylonitrile (AN) was graft‐polymerized onto gelatinized cationic starch (CS) possessing diethylaminoethyl ether groups by cerium (IV) initiation to give stable latexlike copolymer dispersions. Dispersions of the latex copolymers, having up to 50% grafted polyacrylonitrile (PAN), air‐ and heat‐dry on glass to clear, adhesive films. Sonification of up to 8% dispersions at 20 Khz reduced their viscosities from 1500–3000 cP to 15–40 cP. Scanning electron microscopy revealed that both nonsonified and sonified dispersions consist of ball‐like particles measuring about 0.05–0.15 μ in diameter when dry. The films are formed by coalescence of these particles. The degree to which AN grafts onto CS at ambient temperature is related to the nitrogen content of CS, gelatinization time of CS at 95°C, sequence of AN and cerium(IV) addition, concentration of cerium (IV), concentration of AN, and severity of reaction agitation. Number‐average molecular weight values of PAN were about 10 6 when grafting was conducted under stirring and about 5 × 10 5 when conducted under shaking action.