Photoinitiated graft copolymerization of hydroxyethyl methacrylate onto cotton cellulose

Abstract The photoinitiated graft copolymerization of hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) onto cotton cellulose was studied using uranyl nitrate (UN) and ceric ammonium nitrate (CAN) photoinitiators. Optimization of various parameters of the graft‐copolymerization reaction viz., time, temperature, initiator, and monomer concentration, was carried out. The optimized conditions of grafting were employed to cotton samples swollen in zinc chloride as well as sodium hydroxide. Graft add‐on was found to be dependent on the nature of substrate and the concentrations of monomer and photoinitiator. UN was found to be the better photoinitiator, giving higher grafting with HEMA. The grafted samples showed initially decrease and then marginal increase in the moisture regain with increase in graft add‐on. The dye uptake of both direct and reactive dyes decreased with increase in graft add‐on.