Microwave Induced Graft Copolymerization of Methyl Methacrylate onto Lignocellulosic Fibers

Surface modification of natural fibers helps to improve their existing properties such as swelling behavior, water uptake, moisture absorbance, resistance to chemicals, and thermal behavior. In the present communication, surface modification of Agave americana fiber through graft copolymerization under the influence of microwave radiation has been reported. Grafting of methyl methacrylate onto the fiber was done using ceric ammonium nitrate as redox initiator under different conditions of reaction time, temperature, and nitric acid, initiator, and monomer concentration. The optimized reaction conditions resulted in maximum graft yield of 10.4%. The graft copolymers obtained under optimum conditions were subsequently subjected to evaluation of various physicochemical properties such as swelling behavior in different solvents, solubility behavior, moisture absorbance behavior, and resistance to acids and bases. The graft copolymers were further characterized with the help of Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermogravimetric analysis, and X-ray diffraction studies.