Graft polymerization of 4‐vinylpyridine onto cellulosic fibres by the ceric ion method, II. The ph effect

The effect of pH on the graft polymerization of 4‐vinylpyridine (4‐VP) onto cellulose and on partially carboxymethylated cotton (PCMC) initiated by ceric ammonium nitrate (CAN) in dilute nitric acid was examined. The grafting parameters grafting efficiency (GE), graft yield (G), graft frequency (GF), and ceric ion consumption (Ce(IV)c) were studied as a function of nitric acid concentration. Also the effect of pH on the graft polymerization was examined and the total nitrate ion concentration was maintained high and constant at 0.86 mol/1 by addition of sodium nitrate. Maximum grafting and total conversion occurred at pH 1, but these values were smaller than the ones obtained in the previous case. For comparison some experiments were carried out using ceric sulfate as initiator.