Cotton substrates, graft polymerizations

The selective oxidation of cellulose to dialdehyde by sodium periodate is well known. It has been postulated by Criegee (74) and by Waters (73) that this reaction proceeds by a free radical mechanism. Toda (76) and Morimoto, Okada, Okada, and Nakagawa (77) have concluded that sodium periodate oxidation should initiate graft polymerization. They succeeded in grafting methyl methacrylate and acrylonitrile onto cellulose substrates, such as rayon and paper. A similar procedure is recommended in a patent of Chemische Werke Huels (78) to graft vinyl monomers onto cotton, polyethylene oxide, copolymers of vinyl chloride-vinyl acetate, and others. 

This is a report of a study to use depolymerization or degradation and polymerization reactions within the rf reactor to advantage in the formation of new polymers and to Investigate the relative contributions of rf produced particles (electrons and ions) and of rf produced uv light in the Initiation of graft polymerizations on cotton substrates. 

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