PRODUCTION OF WATER-SOLUBLE POLYSTYRENESULFONIC ACID

• Main Authors: MIKUCHI FUMIHIRO, TERAO TOSHIMI, NAGANO KATSUMASA, IDE MASAYUKI
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 05.08.1988
• Subjects: CHEMISTRY; COMPOSITIONS BASED THEREON; MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS OBTAINED BY REACTIONS ONLY INVOLVINGCARBON-TO-CARBON UNSATURATED BONDS; METALLURGY; ORGANIC MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS; THEIR PREPARATION OR CHEMICAL WORKING-UP

PURPOSE:To obtain the titled compound having low organic solvent content and high purity in high yield, by sulfonating a polystyrene in a halogenated hydrocarbon solvent and adding water to the reaction mixture to dissolve produced polystyrenesulfonic acid in water. CONSTITUTION:A polystyrene having an average molecular weight of 200-50,000 is sulfonated in a halogenated hydrocarbon solvent (preferably ethyl chloride, etc.). Water of an amount to satisfy 1<=B<=20 and the formula [A is amount (weight ratio) of the halogenated hydrocarbon per 1pt.wt. of the polystyrene used as a raw material; B is amount of added water (weight ratio)] is added to the sulfonation reaction product to dissolve the objective compound in water and the compound is separated from the halogenated hydrocarbon solvent by conventional method. The above separation is preferably carried out by stirring the mixture of water and the product while controlling the temperature of the mixture to 30-40 deg.C, thereby dissolving the polystyrenesulfonic acid in water.