A novel method for sulfonation of microporous polystyrene divinyl benzene copolymer using gaseous SO2 in the waste air streams

Abstract

In this study a novel sulfonation method for microporous polystyrene divinyl benzene copolymer (PSDBP) was introduced. In our sulfonation system gaseous SO2 is used as the sulfonation agent and planned to be obtained from waste gas streams. The proposed method, therefore, combines SO2 control and clean sulfonation technology in a single compact design. Molded polymeric monoliths of the PSDBP containing imprisoned H2O2 solution inside the pores (PSDBPH2O2) were produced in disk shapes. Dry gas mixture containing 3000 ppm SO2 is fed into PSDBPH2O2 disk reactor with a flow rate of 0.8 L/min and effluent gas composition in terms of SO2 was measured. Breakthrough curves for varied initial H2O2 amount were used to calculate SO2 adsorption capacity and sulfonation degree of the PSDBPH2O2 disks. Successful sulfonation of PSDBPH2O2 was verified by the changes in its morphological structure and formed sulfone bonds determined by SEM and IR analyses. respectively. Maximum adsorption capacity for PSDBPH2O2 for the initial H2O2 volume percentage of 13% was determined as 57 mg SO2/g polymer. It should be noted that SO2 adsorption was observed only in H2O2 imprisoned polymer disks. Sulfonation degree of PSDBPH2O2 which attained maximum SO2 amount is calculated as 10%. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.