Reaction Kinetics of the Radiation-Induced Grafting of Styrene on Polyethylene Film

Based on rate data obtained previously, an analysis has been made of the reaction kinetics of the radiation-induced grafting of styrene on polyethylene film by using various concentrations of methanol in the styrene. A new feature of the work involves the use of internal film concentrations of styrene and methanol computed from the Flory theory of polymer /solvent interaction, which possibly improves the accuracy of calculations of termination rate constant kt at various methanol concentrations. A graphical plot of kt dependence on internal film viscosity is computed from an equation of Smoluchowski. Techniques are defined which may lead to improved accuracy in the computation of rate constants.