title: Free radical induced grafting of acrylonitrile on pre-treated rice straw for enhancing its durability and flame retardancy.
abstract: The present investigation highlights the feasibility of a polymer grafting process to enhance the durability and flame retardancy of rice straw towards application as a low cost roofing material. The success of this grafting methodology was perceived to depend upon a bi-step pre-treatment process encompassing delignification and inorganic salts dispersion. Subsequently free radical polymer grafting of acrylonitrile onto rice straw was implemented by immersion mechanism initiated by oxalic acid-potassium permanganate initiator. The percentage of grafting, limiting oxygen index (LOI), biodegradability of the grafted rice straw and grafting yield percentage was estimated to be 57%, 27%, 0.02% and 136.67%, respectively. The weight loss of polymer grafted rice straw implied its less biodegradability over raw straw. Thus, the process of grafting contrived in the present analysis can be a promising and reliable technique for the efficient utilization of rice straw as an inexpensive roofing element through the augmentation of its durability and flame retardancy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Engineering, National Institute of Technology Durgapur, Durgapur 713209, India.
authors.forename: Aparna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mukherjee
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Engineering, National Institute of Technology Durgapur, Durgapur 713209, India.
authors.forename: Seema
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Halder
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Engineering, National Institute of Technology Durgapur, Durgapur 713209, India; Department of Chemical Engineering, Durgapur Institute of Advanced Technology and Management, Durgapur 713212, India.
authors.forename: Deepshikha
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Datta
authors.affiliation: Physical Chemistry, Pulping and Bleaching Division, Central Pulp and Paper Research Institute, Himmat Nagar, Saharanpur 247001, Uttar Pradesh, India.
authors.forename: Kumar
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Anupam
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, K. K. College of Engineering and Management, Dhanbad 828109, Jharkhand, India.
authors.forename: Biren
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hazra
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Engineering, National Institute of Technology Durgapur, Durgapur 713209, India.
authors.forename: Mrinal
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kanti Mandal
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Engineering, National Institute of Technology Durgapur, Durgapur 713209, India.
authors.forename: Gopinath
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Halder
keywords: Delignification; Durability; Flame-retardant; Free radical; Polymer grafting; Rice straw