DESORPTION BEHAVIOR OF (TERMINAL-FUNCTIONALIZED) POLYSTYRENES FROM ALUMINA SURFACES - STUDIED BY THE CONTINUOUS ELUTION METHOD

To explore the desorption behavior of polymers from the solid surfaces , a new experimental technique was introduced in this research. We ref erred to it as the ''continuous elution method''. Using this method, t he desorption behavior of preadsorbed polystyrene (PS) and polystyrene (PS-X) functionalized by a terminal iminium ion (X) from alpha- and g amma-alumina surfaces was investigated. The particles preadsorbed by P S or PS-X were packed into a small column and eluted by various solven ts. Irreversibility of polymer adsorption can be observed clearly, the adsorption/desorption amount can be determined, and much new informat ion on kinetics of desorption, adsorption energy, solvency effect, and etc. was also obtained. On alpha-alumina, it was found that only the X-group is the driven force for adsorption, and the adsorbed layer has a higher energetic state than that on gamma-alumina. A complicated de sorption kinetics of polymer desorbed from gamma-alumina was observed, which has a relation to the porosity of adsorbent.