X-Ray Powder Diffraction Studies to Determine the Morphological Transformations in Hibiscus sabdariffa Graft Copolymers.

Various reaction parameters for the graft copolymerization of Hibiscus sabdariffa fiber with methyl acrylate, ethyl acrylate, butyl acrylate, and acrylonitrile monomer were optimized using ceric ammonium nitrate-nitric acid as initiator system. The graft copolymers thus obtained were characterized by SEM, FT-IR, and XRD. Their evaluation and X-ray diffraction studies revealed change in morphology of the grafted fiber. The percentage crystallinity and crystallinity index were found to decrease with increase in percentage grafting, however, the cellulose I form remains unchanged in the fiber after graft copolymerization, under the optimized reaction conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]