Grafting of Acrylic Acid on to Plantago psyllium Mucilage

Psyllium (Psy) mucilage, a food grade polysaccharide is reported as a substrate for the graft copolymerization of acrylic acid (AA). Psyllium mucilage was extracted from psyllium husk. Polymerization was initiated by ceric ion in aqueous medium under N2 atmosphere. The progress of the reaction was monitored gravimetrically. The effect of different reaction parameter, such as monomer concentration, level of ceric ammonium nitrate /HNO3 (CAN) initiator, reaction time temperature, on the percentage grafting PG was studied. Grafting of polyacrylic acid (PAA) onto Psy was confirmed by Fourier – transform infrared spectroscopy.