Reactive Polymers, Vol.22, No.1, 47-53, 1994
SURFACE GRAFTING OF POLYMERS ONTO ARAMID POWDER - GRAFT-POLYMERIZATION OF VINYL MONOMERS INITIATED BY AZO GROUPS INTRODUCED ONTO THE SURFACE OF ARAMID POWDER
The radical graft polymerization of vinyl monomers onto the surface of aramid powder, i.e., poly(p-phenylene terephthalamide) powder, initiated by azo groups introduced onto the surface was investigated. The introduction of azo groups onto the aramid surface was achieved by the reaction of surface acyl chloride groups, which were introduced by the treatment of aramid powder with adipoyl dichloride, with 2,2'-azobis[2-(2-imidazolyn-2-yl) propane] in the presence of pyridine: the amount of azo groups thus introduced onto the surface was determined to be 0.57 mmol/g by elemental analysis. It was found that the polymerizations of methyl methacrylate (MMA) and styrene were successfully initiated by the azo groups on the surface and that the corresponding polymers were grafted onto the surface. The percentage of surface grafting of polystyrene and poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) increased up to 37.6 and 26.5%, respectively. Thermogravimetric analysis of polymer surface-grafted aramid powder confirmed that the grafting of polymers is limited on the surface. The polymerization rate was found to bear a first-order dependence on the concentration of aramid powder having azo groups. This suggests that in graft polymerization, unimolecular termination preferentially proceeds.
Keywords:CARBON-BLACK