GRAFTING OF ACRYLAMIDE MONOMER ON SUGARCANE BAGASSE

Cellulose modifications through grafting of active monomers have been found to enhance thesorption properties of cellulosic agricultural waste materials in the uptake of materials fromsolutions and in water treatment. Initial compositional analysis of sugarcane bagasse (SCB), afibrous matter left after cane sugar extraction from sugarcane, showed a cellulose content of40.21 %; hemicellulose, 25.8 %; lignin, 22.9 %; ash content, 1.72 % and moisture content of9.41 %. The cellulose was extracted from the SCB using alkaline extraction with sodiumhydroxide followed by bleaching with sodium hypochlorite. It gave a cellulose yield of 53.13 %.Acrylamide monomer was grafted unto the cellulose under optimum conditions of cericammonium nitrate (CAN) concentration of 0.015 M, 2 hours reaction time and a monomer tocellulose ratio of 3:1 (w/v). These conditions favoured increase in graft and graft efficiencypercent.