Malaysian Journal of Analytical Sciences Vol 18 No 2 (2014): 398 - 404

 

 

 

GRAFT COPOLYMERIZATION OF METHYL METHACRYLATE ONTO AGAVE CELLULOSE

 

(Pengkopolimeran Cangkukan Metil Metakrilat ke atas Selulosa Agave)

 

Noor Afizah Rosli, Ishak Ahmad*, Ibrahim Abdullah, Farah Hannan Anuar

 

School of Chemical Science and Food Technology, Faculty of Science and Technology

Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 Bangi, elangor, Malaysia

 

*Corresponding author: gading@ukm.edu.my

 

 

Abstract

The grafting polymerization of methyl methacrylate (MMA) and Agave cellulose was prepared and the grafting reaction conditions were optimized by varying the reaction time and temperature, and ratio of monomer to cellulose. The resulting graft copolymers were characterized by Fourier transform infrared, X-ray diffraction analysis, thermogravimetric analysis, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The experimental results showed that the optimal conditions were at a temperature of 45 ºC for 90 min with ratio monomer to cellulose at 1:1 (g/g). An additional peak at 1738 cm^-1 which was attributed to the C=O of ester stretching vibration of poly(methyl methacrylate), appeared in the spectrum of grafted Agave cellulose. A slight decrease of crystallinity index upon grafting was found from 0.74 to 0.68 for cellulose and grafted cellulose, respectively. Grafting of MMA onto cellulose enhanced its thermal stability and SEM observation further furnished evidence of grafting MMA onto Agave cellulose with increasing cellulose diameter and surface roughness.

 

Keywords: agave, cellulose, Graft copolymerization, methyl methacrylate

 

Abstrak

Pempolimeran cangkukan metil metakrilat (MMA) dan selulosa Agave telah disediakan dan keadaan tindak balas cangkukan dioptimumkan dengan mempelbagaikan masa dan suhu tindak balas, dan nisbah monomer kepada selulosa. Kopolimer cangkukan yang terhasil dicirikan oleh spektroskopi jelmaan Fourier inframerah (FTIR), belauan sinar-x (XRD), analisis termogravimetri, dan mikroskopi elektron pengimbasan (SEM). Keputusan eksperimen menunjukkan bahawa keadaan optimum adalah pada suhu 45°C selama 90 minit dengan nisbah monomer kepada selulosa pada 1:1 (g/g). Satu puncak tambahan pada 1738 cm^-1 yang menunjukkan kepada getaran regangan C=O daripada poli(metil metakrilat) muncul pada spektrum selulosa cangkukan. Indeks penghabluran menurun sedikit melalui cangkukan dari 0.74 ke 0.68, masing-masing bagi selulosa dan selulosa cangkukan. Cangkukan MMA ke atas selulosa meningkatkan kestabilan terma dan pemerhatian SEM melengkapkan lagi bukti cangkukan MMA ke atas selulosa dengan peningkatan diameter dan permukaan kasar selulosa.

 

Kata kunci: agave, selulosa, Pengkopolimeran cangkukan, metil metakrilat

 

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