PREPARATION OF FIBROUS ION EXCHANGER COMPOSED OF VINYL POLYMER

Abstract

The preparation and characteristics of fibrous ion exchangers composed of vinyl polymers, for example, a strong basic cation exchanger based on styrene-divinylbenzene are studied.After the impregnated monomer mixture is polymerized in-fiber, the original fiber is dissolved away and ion exchange groups are introduced. For such polymerization process, acetate fiber is found to be suitable as the fiber matrix.Monomer mixtures studied are styrene-divinyl benzene, vinyl benzyl chloride-divinyl benzene and methy metacrylate-divinylbenzene.The fiber matrix is dissolved away by treating with 50wt% H2SO4 at 85°C for 4 hours. According to the above processes, various fibrous ion exchangers, namely, strong acidic cation exchanger, weak acidic cation exchanger, strong basic anion exchanger and weak basic anion exchanger are prepared.The characteristics of these fibrous ion exchangers are clarified as follows.(1) Fiber forms of the fibrous ion exchangers are essentially the same as that of acetate fiber.(2) Relations between ion exchange capacity, degree of crosslinking and water swelling ratio are essentially the same as those found to corresponding resinous ion exchangers.