New carboxyl ion-exchange fibers prepared by acrylic acid (AA) and N, N-methylene-bis-acrylamide (MBAA) monomer grafting to polypropylene (PP) fibers based on the method of gamma-rays pre-irradiation in air followed by a Mohr's salt redox initiation of grafting reaction were studied. Grafting degree, homopolymer quantity, monomer conversion and grafting efficiency were determined. FTIR spectroscopy was used to establish the nature of the grafted fibers. The thermal stability of the materials was investigated based on DSC analysis in N-2/O-2 mixture. The long-term stability during 6-8 years of storage was examined by the measurement of the tensile strength and the elongation at break of the fibers, and the chemical oxygen demand in water extracts as well as in the oxygen uptake experiments. The influence of some factors on the useful life of the grafted fibers was studied: a MBAA cross-linking, exposure to day light, the Fe (III) residue presence, a grafting reaction temperature. It was found that small amounts of the adsorbed Fe (III) ions increase the deterioration rate of the grafted fibers, while small amounts of MBAA delay this negative process.

Swelling of acrylamide and sodium acrylate copolymer polyelectrolyte hydrogel in aqueous Cu(II) chloride solutions with additives of proteinogenic amino acids glycine and L-histidine has been studied. Research relevance is due to the application of such systems in agrochemical products that are supposed to have high water absorption capacity in the presence of microelements ions and amino acids, which are used to prevent nutritional deficiency and make plants resistant to adverse weather conditions and diseases. Gravimetry, atomic absorption spectrometry, FTIR ATR spectroscopy and molecular absorption spectrophotometry were used. The impact of acidity (pH 3, 5 and 7) of aqueous Cu(II) chloride solutions with amino acids additives on the hydrogel swelling degree and Cu(II) ions absorption has been determined. The reasons for changes in the hydrogel swelling degree in aqueous Cu(II) chloride solutions in presence of glycine and L-histidine have been found. The main product of the crosslinked copolymer interaction with the components of 0.01 M aqueous Cu(II) chloride solution with the addition of 0.04 M glycine or L-histidine at pH 3 has been assumed to be a mixed Cu(II) ions complex with functional groups of both copolymer and amino acids.

Comparative data have been obtained on the effect of the absorbed dose of γ-radiation and electron beam on the radiation-induced degradation of poly-L-lactide in the presence of oxygen provided dose distribution through the irradiated polymer bulk is uniform and high-energy radiation heating is insignificant to cause change of relaxation and phase transitions in the polymer matrix. The efficiency of radiation-induced degradation of poly-L-lactide exposed to γ-radiation has been shown to be higher than that in the case of electron beam due to a longer irradiation time in the former case resulting in a more essential contribution of an oxidative component in degradation.

The time dependences of the elastic moduli and loss moduli of aqueous solutions of Alcoflood-254S carboxylated polyacrylamide, containing chromium(III) acetate as a cross-linking agent, were studied by oscillation rheometry in the temperature interval 50–80°?. The gel time increases with a decrease in the temperature, as well as in the concentration of the polymer and cross-linking agent. The elastic properties of hydrogels at the moment of the onset of their formation, characterizing the concentration of cross-links between the macromolecules, are due to the polymer concentration in the solution and are independent of the chromium(III) acetate concentration and temperature. Presumably, equal degree of conversion in the reaction between carboxylate groups of the polymer and chromium(III) ion, leading to cross-linking of macromolecules of carboxylated polyacrylamide, allows determination of the kinetic parameters of the gelation from data obtained by oscillation rheometry under nonisothermal conditions.

The mechanism of deposition of a poly-L-lactide film from the active gas phase has been shown to be associated with destructing a macromolecule into large fragments rather than with depolymerizing a poly-L-lactide film to a monomer followed by its polycondensation on substrate. The transformation of the initial polymer powder into a thin film under the great energetic effect is accompanied by decreasing the molecule mass, while the D-isomer content increases from 4 to 12 %. In so doing, not only the phase state of the polymer changes from semi-crystalline to amorphous one, but the poly-L-lactide relaxation state is transformed from glass to rubber one; these changes could promote an accelerated release of different biocide additives from the film.

The transformation of the intermolecular complex of chromium (III)–polymer into the intramolecular one was revealed to be the main reason for degradation of polyelectrolyte hydrogels based on sulfonated and carboxylated polyacrylamides crosslinked by chromium (III) acetate during thermal aging, while the mineralized water addition caused polymer salts to precipitate. Hydrogel destruction occurred at a relatively high content of carboxylate groups formed due to the hydrolysis of amide or substituted amide groups. NMR 13 C and NMR 1 H spectroscopy showed that the hydrolysis of the functional groups in polyelectrolyte hydrogel containing a sulfo group proceeded slowly, thus resulting in a higher resistance to thermal aging as compared to that based on carboxylated polyacrylamide.

Properties of thin coatings formed on polymer and glass substrates by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition from a mixture of nitrogen with acetylene at atmospheric pressure were investigated. It was established that chemically stable transparent films with a mass ratio of fixed carbon and nitrogen C:N ~ 2:1 are formed on the surface of these substrates. When the deposition time was increased, arrays of dendrite-like structures were formed on the substrates.

Introduction of copper(II), zinc(II), and manganese(II) ions into aqueous solutions of acrylamide–sodium acrylate copolymer leads to phase separation. The position of the boundary between the liquid phase and the precipitate is determined by the copolymer composition, its concentration in solution, and nature and concentration of the ion being introduced.

Polyelectrolyte hydrogels based on copolymers of acrylamide with 2-acrylamido-2-methylpropanesulfonic acid were prepared by frontal copolymerization in dilute aqueous solutions of the monomers using ammonium persulfate as initiator chromium triacetate as cross-linking agent. The influence of the monomer molar ratio, initiator and cross-linker concentration on the possibility of performing the copolymerization and monomer reactivity ratios in the frontal mode, and on the characteristics of the obtained hydrogels was examined.

Copolymers of acrylamide with 2-acrylamido-2-methylpropanesulfonic acid and polyelectrolyte hydrogels based on them were prepared by frontal copolymerization in concentrated aqueous solutions of the monomers using ammonium persulfate as initiator. The influence of the monomer molar ratio and initiator concentration on the possibility of performing the copolymerization in the frontal mode and on the characteristics of the copolymers and hydrogels obtained was examined.

A series of hydrogels were prepared by cross- linking of a low molecular weight partially hydrolyzed polyacrylamide (HPAM) in aqueous solutions, with potassium persulfate (KPS) as cross linker at moderate temperatures between 60-80⁰C.The minimum concentration of polymer solution for consistent gel formation is 1.5wt%, and the time to obtain the stronger gel decreases with increasing the KPS/HPAM ratio and concentration of HPAM. Increasing the concentration of polymer solutions shifts the onset of gel formation to the lower KPS/HPAM ratios. Increasing the KPS/HPAM ratio at constant weight percent of HPAM decreases the water absorbency, and increasing the polymer content at any KPS/HPAM ratio increases the water absorption .Gel fraction increases with increasing the weight percent of polymer. Increasing the KPS/HPAM ratio has the similar effect on variations of the gel fraction. A gel, prepared at 60⁰C based on the 2 wt% copolymer solution and crosslinker/ copolymer ratio of 1/3 is an optimum gel in terms of gel strength, water absorbency and gel fraction. The Proposed mechanism of gel formation is cross-linking through macroradical combination. FTIR analysis confirms the absence of imidization during gel formation .The Conversion time of gelant solutions to consistent gel is decreased 2 times for every 10⁰C increase of temperature. Fluctuations in the water absorbency of hydrogels which prepared at different temperatures can be explained with competition between degradation and radical combination. Hydrogels prepared at different temperatures and similar KPS/HPAM ratio, have no significant difference in gel fraction.

The photosensitive material based on a copolymer of methyl methacrylate with methacrylic acid is suitable as recording medium for holographic images. The time of recording such images is largely determined by intermolecular interaction in the polymer. The time of recording a holographic image increases as the content of methacrylic units in the copolymer, enhancing the intermolecular interactions in the system, is increased.

Polyelectrolyte hydrogels based on 40% aqueous-salt solutions of polyacrylonitrile fiber hydrolyzate were prepared using products of thermal decomposition of ammonium persulfate as cross-linking agent. Swelling of these gels in aqueous solutions of zinc, copper, and manganese sulfates is followed by the inverse process leading to the collapse of the hydrogels. The use of complex salts of the above ions prevents the inverse process. The relationships characterizing the influence of the cross-linking agent concentration on the initial swelling rate and on the equilibrium and maximum swelling in distilled water and in 0.01 M solutions of copper sulfate and disodium copper ethylenediaminetetraacetate were determined.