Radiation‐induced reactions with cellulose. II. The Trommsdorff effect: Dose and dose rate studies involving copolymerization with monomers in methanol

Abstract

Abstract The radiation‐induced grafting to cellulose of styrene, methyl methacrylate, vinyl acetate, 2‐vinylpyridine, and 4‐vinylpyridine in methanol has been studied. All monomers exhibit appreciable grafting at room temperature in either vacuum or air for total doses up to 10 Mrad and at dose rates as high as 1.4 Mrad/hr. in a spent fuel or 60 Co facility. The magnitude of the grafting depends upon both the total dose and dose rate. Under certain experimental conditions, the grafting experiences a maximum which has been attributed to the Trommsdorff effect. A novel mechanism involving charge‐transfer bond formation is proposed to account for the observed data in the grafting reactions.