Abstract:

Hypercrosslinked polystyrene, first introduced by Davankov and Tsyurupa, is obtained by an extensive crosslinking of polystyrene (or styrene-divinylbenzene copolymers) in a dissolved (or highly swollen) state. In the case that the cross bridges are conformationally restricted, a spacious, rigid, open-structure network forms that provides the material with a complex of unusual properties,such as, the ability to swell in any kind of liquid, strongly adsorb all organic compounds both from aqueous and gaseous media. Manufactured by Purolite Int. (UK), the hypercrosslinked materials Macronet Hypersol MN have found large scale application as absorbents with unprecedented capacities, e.g., for waste water detoxification, sugar syrup decolonization, etc.