Homogeneous-Type Grafts

It should be noted that wool, the other major fibrous polymer of natural origin, has also been used as a substrate for grafting. Indeed, materials of commerce are often grafted in a manner analogous to that used for the cellulosic fibers (Rebenfeld, 1971). 

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Dispersion polymerization differs from emulsion polymerization in that the reaction mixture, consisting of monomer, initiator, and solvent (aqueous or nonaque-ous), is usually homogeneous. As polymerization proceeds, polymer separates out and the reaction continues in a heterogeneous manner. A polymeric surfactant of the block or graft type (referred to as protective colloid ) is added to stabilize the particles once formed. 

Dispersion polymerization is defined as a type of precipitation polymerization by which polymeric microspheres are formed in the presence of a suitable steric stabilizer from an initially homogeneous reaction mixture. Under favorable circumstances, this polymerization can yield, in a batch process, monodisperse, or nearly monodisperse, latex particles with a relatively large diameter (up to 15 pm) [103]. The solvent selected as the reaction medium is a good solvent for both the monomer and the steric stabilizer, but a non-solvent for the polymer being formed and therefore a selective solvent for the graft copolymer. This restriction on the choice of solvent means that these reactions can be carried out... 

SCHEME 13.9 Homogeneous synthesis of graft copolymers by a-cleavage type photoinitiation. 

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