Sasan Dan - M.Sc. student, Department of chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering,Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Kerman, Iran
Maryam Kalantari - assistant professor, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of ScienceShahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Kerman, Iran.
Ata Kamyabi - assistant professor Department of chemical Engineering, Faculty of EngineeringShahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Kerman,
Madjid Soltani - assistant professor,Department of Mechanical Engineering, KNT University of Technology, Tehran,Iran

In this research, chemical modification of chitosan was done via grafting of itaconic acid using several initiator such as ammonium persulphate (APS), cerium ammonium nitrate (CAN) and Fenton reagent (a solution of hydrogen peroxide with ferrous iron). Results showed that the itaconic acid was successfully grafted on chitosan using APS as initiator. Graft reaction confirmed using FTIR. Thermo gravimetric analysis (TGA) used to study the thermal stability of the synthesized copolymer, which indicated that grafting increase the thermal stability by 100 °C.

chitosan, graft copolymer, itaconic acid, ammonium persulphate