Iab Ionenaustauscher Gmbh Bitterfeld

Iab Ionennaustauscher Gmbh Bitterfeld

Reinhard Bachmann

Lothar Feistel

R&uuml;diger Seidel

Karl-Heinz Siekiera

Kurt Wegewitz

Process for the preparation of free-flowing strongly acidic cation exchangers

Sulfonated strongly acidic cation exchangers are rendered free-flowing by treatment with wetting agents or water soluble initiators, washing with water at temperatures of at least 60&deg; C. and heat drying.

The invention relates to a process for the preparation of mechanically and osmotically stable, high-capacity strongly acidic cation exchangers having a particle size of &gE;0.1 mm by sulphonation of gel-like or porous bead polymers with sulphuric acid without the use of inert chlorine-containing swelling agents and/or of comonomers based on acrylonitrile. According to the invention, such strongly acidic cation exchangers can be prepared by sulphonation of gel-like and porous bead polymers, prepared by copolymerization of styrene and divinylbenzene having a crosslinker content of up to 65% by weight of divinylbenzene with and without inert composition, with 80-96% strength sulphuric acid at temperatures of 125-180&deg; C. and a reaction time of up to 20 h. According to the novel process, strongly acidic cation exchangers can be prepared without the use of the inert chlorine-containing environmentally harmful swelling agent 1,2-dichloroethane, with quality features and material characteristics identical or similar to products produced by the conventional processes.

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Engelsdorf, Germany

Reinhard Bachmann