Development of functionalized cellulosic biopolymers by graft copolymerization.

Natural lignocellulosic polymers are one of the most promising biodegradable, non-toxic and eco-friendly polymeric materials which have been used to develop various products for number of applications especially in green composites. However, these cellulosic materials have certain drawbacks, like sensitivity to water and moisture, and need to be modified. So in this article, a treatment of lignocellulose biopolymers with suitable acrylate monomer was investigated. The influence of different reaction parameters on efficiency (grafting) was investigated. SEM, TGA and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) were used to study the graft copolymerization between the monomer and hydroxyl groups of lignocellulosic biopolymers. This article also discusses swelling, and chemical resistance properties of the both the grafted/ungrafted cellulosic biopolymer and their potential candidature for green composite applications. Published by Elsevier B.V.