The chemical graft copolymerization reaction of acrylonitrile (AN) onto paper sheet was performed. The effect of initiator concentration, monomer concentration, and temperature on the reaction rate was studied. The reaction rate equation of the graft copolymerization reaction is found to be R(P) = K(2) [initiator](0.54)[monomer](1.13). The apparent activation energy (E(a)) of the copolymerization reaction is found to be 35.99 KJ/mol. The infrared characteristic absorption bands for cellulosic paper structure and the paper gr-AN are studied. Tensile break load, porosity, and burst strength were measured for the grafted and pure paper sheet. It was found that the mechanical properties are improved by grafting. The chemical resistance of the graft product against strong acid (HCl), strong alkali (NaOH), polar and nonpolar solvents was investigated. It was found that the resistance to these chemicals is enhanced by grafting. From the TGA and DTA data, it is clear that the grafted paper sheet is more thermally stable than pure paper sheet. (C) 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 120: 1411-1419, 2011