THE SYNTHESIS AND PROPERTIES OF A CATION-EXCHANGE RESIN PREPARED BY THE PYROLYSIS OF STARCH IN THE PRESENCE OF PHYTIC ACID

A black charcoal-like material having cation exchange and adsorption p roperties was prepared by the controlled pyrolysis of starch in the pr esence of a commercial phytic acid solution. Resins with binding capac ities of 0.7-5.7 meq/g of calcium were prepared by varying the phytic acid to starch ratio, the temperature, or the duration of heating of t he reaction mixture. SEM photomicrographs of some of these new materia ls showed that they are composed of particles similar in size and shap e to the starting starch granules. These resins also removed atrazine from aqueous solutions. (C) 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.double dagger