2-(Methacryloyloxyethyl) Trimethyl Ammonium Chloride Grafted onto Natural Rubber in Latex State

The grafting of polar vinyl monomers onto natural rubber is usually investigated to modify specific properties of natural rubber. The aim of this research was to graft copolymerize 2-(methacryloyloxyethyl) trimethyl ammonium chloride (MAETAC) onto natural rubber (NR), using cumene hydroperoxide (CHP) and tetraethylene pentamine (TEPA) as a redox initiator system. The effects of the initiator system, the monomer, and the reaction temperature and time on grafting were investigated. The grafted product was characterized by FTIR spectrophotometry. The grafting tendency was determined by using the relative absorbance ratio of A1725/A842, which compares the C=O stretching in MAETAC with the =CH out-of-plane bending in natural rubber moieties. Near optimal grafting was obtained with CHP and TEPA both at 0.15 phr, monomer at 20 phr, reacted at 65°C for 120 minutes. The grafting percentage of NR-g-MAETAC was 6.10 as determined by ATR-FTIR.