CHARACTERIZATION OF POLYMER SORBERSPRODUCEDBY CATALYTIC INITIATION AND GAMMA IRRADIATION

Abstract

The thesis deals with the study of the molecular characteristics of some water soluble polymers. A great attention on the flow properties of the solution of poly(vinylpyrrolidone}, PVP has been exerted. The viscosity-molecular mass relationship, the effect of solvent on the unperturbed dimensions of PVP in a series of mixed solvents exhibiting a synergistic effect, the applicability of some extrapolation procedures for deriving the unperturbed polymer dimensions from measurements of [ll] in non-ideal solvents were studied. A new empirical equation for calculating the unperturbed dimensions was suggested. The equilibrium flexibility and hydrodynamic properties of PVP in water/ACT binary mixtures were premeditated. The dependence of the excluded volume, Z, on the composition of the solvent and molecular weight was, also, illustrated

Various types of crosslinked homopolymers and copolymers were prepared and their efficiency as water sorbing polymers was investigated. Different monomer combinations comprised 2-Acrylamide-2-methylpropane sulphonic acid (AMPS) acrylamide (AM}, acrylic acid (AA}, N-vinylpyrrolidone (VP), butyl acrylate (BA) and 2-Hydroxyethylmethacrylate (HEMA) were used. The polymerization reactions were initiated either by chemical initiator or y-irradiation. Two types of crosslinking agents, namely, 1,1,1-Trimethylolpropanone trimethacrylate (TPT) and Methylene bisacrylamide (MBA}, were utilized for obtaining the crosslinked hydrogels. The structure of the produced polymers was confirmed by the aid of Perkin Elmer 1500 Fourier Transform spectrometer (FTIR). The swelling behavior and the network parameters of the prepared crosslinked polymer were deliberated.