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 structure were prepared by suspension polymerization in different solvating, non-solvating and mixture of diluents. These diluents having different affinities for the copolymers, produced changes in their morphology, particularly with respect to porosity, pore size distribution and specific surface area and subsequently density and mechanical strength. It was observed that the use of relativity less solvating diluent results in more porous, large spore size distribution and large surface area and subsequently small density and poor mechanical strength copolymer beads and vice versa under the given experimental conditions. The use of a mixture of an appropriate solvating and non-solvating diluents could result in copolymer beads of desired characteristics. The cation-exchange resins prepared by the sulfonation of the respective copolymer beads were checked for their Na/sup +/ ions capacity. The capacity varies from 3.45 to 4.10 meq/g. That means it does not change markedly with the change in diluent or mixture of diluents under the given experimental conditions. (author)