The Effect of Ferrous Ion in the Peroxide Initiation of Vinyl Polymerisation on Cellulose

An effective method of initiating graft polymerisation on cellulose utilises the hydrogen peroxide–ferrous ion redox system, in which the ferrous ion component is held predominantly within the cellulose fibres. The method was first used by Landells and Whewell1, and it has now been demonstrated that the success of their procedure depends on ion‐exchange between cellulose and ferrous ion. It has also been shown that the presence of ferrous ion in the cellulose fibres leads to a decrease in the rate of formation of homopolymer and an increase in grafting efficiency. The polymerisation of methyl methaerylate and of styrene by hydrogen peroxide has been shown to be accelerated by the presence of cellulose.