Polymer beads containing vinylbenzyl alcohol units, their production, processes for thermally crosslinking them, the thermally crosslinked beads and adsorbents and ion exchange resin formed therefrom

• Main Authors: HUNDERMARK, DAVID L, REED, SAMUEL FRANKLIN, JR
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French; German
• Published: 06.02.1980
• Subjects: CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOIDCHEMISTRY; CHEMISTRY; COMPOSITIONS BASED THEREON; COMPOSITIONS OF MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS; MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS OBTAINED BY REACTIONS ONLY INVOLVINGCARBON-TO-CARBON UNSATURATED BONDS; METALLURGY; ORGANIC MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL; THEIR PREPARATION OR CHEMICAL WORKING-UP; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS; TRANSPORTING

Polymer beads containing at least 0.5 percent by weight vinylbenzyl alcohol units may be thermally crosslinked by heating during or after the formation reaction thereof in the presence of a free radical initiator, such that alpha-hydroxy benzylic methylene and/or benzyloxy crosslinks are formed between aromatic rings of the vinylbenzyl alochol units, and/or between the vinylbenzyl alcohol units and other active sites in the polymer. The Production of the thermally crosslinkable addition polymers may be carried out directly from vinylbenzyl alcohol monomer and at least one other monomer, or indirectly by hydrolysis of vinylbenzyl chloride during the polymer formation. The crosslinked products are useful as adsorbents, hydrogels and as intermediates in the preparation of other adsorbents and ion exchange resins. The invention extends to the polymer beads containing vinylbenzyl alcohol units, their production, processes for thermally crosslinking them, the thermally crosslinked beads and adsorbents and ion exchange resins formed therefrom.