Abstract: The graft copolymerization and antibacterial property of methacrylamide on cotton fabric were studied with sodium persulfate as initiator. Dip-pad-cure process(DPC) and impregnation process were used to graft cotton fabric. The optimum condition of graft copolymerization was obtained as below: initiator concentration 30 g/L, monomer concentration 90 g/L, 76% take-up, reaction time 3 min, curing temperature 150℃ and curing time 1.5 min. The active chlorine from optimum process is 0.52%. The active chlorine reached at 1.11% when the concentrations of initiator and monomer were 30 g/L and 50 g/L, respectively, after 180 min of reaction. The surface of grafted fabric was characterized by FTIR, SEM et al. The results confirmed that methacrylamide was grafted onto cotton cellulose using a radical graft polymerization process. The modified cotton fabric obtained good antibacterial property when the active chlorine reached at 0.52%.

Key words: graft copolymerization, methacrylamide, cotton fabrec, antibacterial property