N-vinylcarbazole-divinylbenzene copolymer. The effect of different diluents on the formation of porous structure in suspension polymerization

N-Vinylcarbazole(NVC)-divinylbenzene(DVB) copolymer beads of porous structu re were prepared by suspension polymerization in different solvating, non-s olvating and mixture of diluents. These diluents having different affinitie s for the copolymers, produced changes in their morphology particularly wit h respect to porosity, pore size distribution and specific surface area and subsequently density and mechanical strength It was observed that the use of relatively less solvating diluent results in more porous, large pore siz e distribution and large surface area and subsequently small density and po or mechanical strength copolymer beads and vice versa under the given exper imental conditions. The use of a mixture of an appropriate solvating and no n-solvating diluents could result in copolymer beads of desired characteris tics. The cation-exchange resins prepared by the sulfonation of the respective co polymer beads were checked for their Na+ ions capacity. The capacity varies from 3.45 to 4.10 meq/g. That means it does not change markedly with the c hange in diluent or mixture of diluents under the given experimental condit ions.