Patent ID: 6472479
Filing Date: 2002-10-29
Classification: B01J,C08F

Abstract:
A process for preparing bead copolymers comprising(i) forming a suspension of a seed polymer and a monomer mixture in a continuous aqueous phase, wherein (1) the seed polymer is obtained by jetting a monomer mixture of components (A) and (B) or (A) and (B) and (C) as defined below in an aqueous phase and adjacent polymerization or is obtained in a hetero-disperse or homodisperse suspension of a monomer mixture of components (A) and (B) or (A) and (B) and (C) as defined below by stirring or jetting in a continuous aqueous phase, and (2) the monomer mixture comprises (A) from 67 to 99.45% by weight of styrene, (B) from 0.5 to 20% by weight of crosslinkers, which optionally are present as an isomer mixture and can contain up to 50% by weight of isomers of ethylstyrenes and up to 10% by weight of isomers of diethylbenzenes, (C) from 0.5 to 8% by weight of vinylpyridines, and (D) from 0.1 to 1.1 parts by weight, based on 100 parts by weight of the mixture of components (A)+(B)+(C), of a polymerization initiator, (ii) polymerizing the monomer mixture in the seed polymer or in a heterodisperse or homodisperse suspension to form a copolymer, and (iii) functionalizing the resulting copolymer by sulfonation.