Synthesis and Characterization of Vinyl Acetate Grafted onto Industrial Cellulose

This study was aimed at investigating the synthesis and characterization of vinyl acetate grafted on Industrial Cellulose. Vinyl acetate monomer was grafted onto Industrial cellulose using benzoyl peroxide as initiator at varied temperatures. The Industrial cellulose-g-poly(vinyl acetate) was orange in colour. The effect of initiator concentration, monomer concentration and temperature on percentage grafting and grafting efficiency of the product was determined. Both percentage grafting and grafting efficiency increased with initiator concentration and monomer concentration for the industrial cellulose-g-poly(vinyl acetate). The percentage grafting and grafting efficiency increased with temperature from 60°C – 70°C then decreased after 70°C for the sample. The graft copolymer was analyzed and characterized using various tests, which included Fourier transformed infrared spectrophotometer, physico-mechanical tests which were, hardness test with durometer shore hardness tester, density with Monsanto Densitron 2000, softening point tester with HDT/Vicat Test Station. Moreover, adsorption studies of bromothymol blue onto the sample was done with Ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometer. The results of the FTIR confirmed the presence of O-H of alcohol (3404 cm-1), C=O of esters (1645 cm-1), N-H of protein (2272 cm-1), C-H of methyl and methylene (2933 cm-1), and C-O of esters (1122 cm-1) in the Industrial cellulose-g-poly(vinyl acetate). The result of the hardness showed that the Industrial cellulose-g-poly(vinyl acetate) was 87D, the density was 0.95mg/m3, and the softening point was 115°C - 135°C. The percentage of bromothymol blue removed from aqueous solution was 72.4% for industrial cellulose-g-poly(vinyl acetate). The rate constants for the Industrial graft copolymer was determined using pseudo first order kinetics and it gave 3.59 x 10-2 min-1. The research showed that Industrial cellulose-g-poly(Vinyl acetate) could be used in the adsorption of bromothymol blue (dye) in aqueous solution.