The graft copolymerization of sodium carboxymethylcellulose (NaCMC) with acrylamide (AM) and dimethylaminoethyl methylacrylate (DMAEMA) was conducted in an aqueous solution using ammonium persulfate (APS) and N,N,N＇,N＇-tetramethylethylene diamine (TMEDA) as the initiator. The effects of various factors on grafting such as temperature, pH, initiator concentration, and concentrations of AM, DMAEMA, and NaCMC were studied. The composition and thermal stability of the graft copolymers were characterized by infrared, elemental, and thermogravimetric analysis, and degradation activation energy and kinetic order were calculated. The relationship between its reduced viscosity and pH in aqueous NaCl was also investigated.