POST-CROSS-LINKED POLYMER ADSORBENTS AND THEIR PROPERTIES FOR SEPARATION OF FURFURAL FROM AQUEOUS-SOLUTIONS

Polymer adsorbents have been prepared by post-polymerization crosslink ing of the swollen chloromethylated gel-type and macroreticular copoly mers of styrene and divinylbenzene. Their morphology has been studied in the dry state by nitrogen adsorption/desorption method and in the s wollen state by inverse steric exclusion chromatography. Their sorptio n properties were tested for the separation of furfural from aqueous s olutions. Obtained data were compared with properties of conventional commercial polymer adsorbents Amberlite XAD-2 and XAD-4. At low concen trations of the sorbate in the surrounding solution the highly micropo rous post-crosslinked materials are much more efficient adsorbents tha n the conventional commercial polymers. However, their sorption capaci ty is restricted by limited pore volume and at higher equilibrium conc entrations the high surface area macroporous polymers like Amberlite X AD-4 can be more efficient adsorbents.