STUDIES ON ULTRASONIC DEGRADATION OF METHYL CELLULOSE AND ITS COPOLYMERIZATION WITH ACRYLONITRILE.

The ultrasonic degradation reactions of methyl cellulose(MC) in its aqueous solution under different conditions were studied. It was found that the degradation reactions are of a mechanochemical nature and the degradation rate is not an increasing function of irradiation time. The ultrasonic irradiation of MC and acrylonitrile (AN) in H//2O/HCOOH resulted in a copolymer of MC and AN. A method for preparing the water-soluble copolymer was suggested. The copolymer is both block and graft with joints mainly located on methoxy groups of MC. This was elucidated by the character of the copolymerization reaction and by analysing the copolymer structure with the help of DTA, IR, PGC and MS. The state of molecular aggregation of the copolymer was identified by XRD and SEM. The surface activity, thermostability, and resistance to salt in the aqueous solution of the copolymerization product were examined. They were found to be better than those of MC.