Polymer structure and catalytic activity of ion exchangers

Abstract

Catalytic activity of ion exchangers prepared by partial sulphonation of styrene-divinylbenzene copolymers in reesterifications of ethyl acetate by methanol and propanol, hydrolysis of ethyl acetate and in synthesis of bisphenol A has been compared with data on polymer structure of these catalysts and with distribution of the crosslinking agent, divinylbenzene, calculated from literature data on kinetics of copolymerisation of styrene with divinylbenzene. It was found that the polymer structure of ion exchangers influences catalytic activity predominantly by changing the local concentration of acid active sites. The results obtained indicated that the effect of transport phenomena on the rate of catalytic reactions does not depend on the degree of swelling of the ion exchangers in reaction medium but it is mainly dependent on the relative affinity of reaction components to the acid groups or to the polymer skeleton.