The use of partially biobased monomers to functionalize palm cellulose via graft-copolymerization was explored. The aim of this work is to recycle a waste, the leaves of palm trees, which are abundant in North African countries in order to obtain novel cellulose derivatives having interesting physico-chemical properties. Furthermore, the monomer that was used for the graft-copolymerization was synthesized from a biobased synthon, glycerol. The synthesis of graft-copolymers from cellulose and (2,2-dimethyl-1,3-dioxolan-4-yl)methyl acrylate (solketal acrylate, DMDMA) was studied to determine the optimal conditions for grafting. The maximum grafting weight gain was 27% obtained after 72 min of reaction at 65 • C with 6.4 mmol KPS/eq OH and 1.51 mol DMDMA/eq OH. THF, used as dispersion solvent, hinders the homopolymerization side-reaction by creation of terminating radicals. FTIR spectroscopy confirmed the grafting of monomers to cellulose and X-ray diffraction revealed an organized structure of the side-chains. Thermogravimetry showed that the grafting could not confer a higher thermal stability to cellulose (loss of 35 • C in the decomposition temperature). Even though partial melting was observed when thermopressed, DSC analysis could not show a neat glass transition temperature but rather multiple exothermal peaks attributed to side-chains reorganization. Thermopressed grafted samples showed improved mechanical properties compared to palm cellulose.
ln this work, we reported the preparation of a nove! biomaterial, by graft polymerization of 2-2-dimethyl-1-3-dioxolan-4-yl methyl acrylate (solketala crylate, DMDMA) on hydroxyethyl cellulose (HEO using KPS as initiator. Severa! experiments were performed to found the optimum conditions for the preparation of this biopolymer, by varying the time of the reaction as well as the initiator and the monomer ratio. Results showed that the high est grafting yield was 25%, obtained after 72 minutes at 65 °(, using THF as solvent. The structure of the grafted copolymer was confirmed by X-ray diffraction patterns which showed, besides the characteristic peaks of HEC at 20= 31.74° and 44.63° a new peak at 20= 30.72° related to an organ ized structure of the grafted polymer on the HEC backbone. The DSC ana lysis showed a single glass transition temperature Tg, intermediate between the corresponding values for HEC and neat poly(solketal acrylate). Moreover, the graftecl biomaterial presented twofold more moisture absorption ability by comparison with HEC, making this new synthetic bio material highly promising for dryness applications. ln our knowledge, the synthesized monomer: 2-2-dimethyl-1-3-dioxolan-4-yl methyl acrylate, (sol ketal acrylate, DMDMA), has never been grafted on the HEC backbones before that is what makes the novelty of the present work.
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