Preparation and uranyl ion adsorptivity of macroreticular chelating resins containing phosphono groups

Macroreticular copolymer beads were prepared by suspension polymerization of styrene, bis(2‐chloroethyl) vinyl phosphonate (CEVP) and divinylbenzene (DVB) in the presence of toluene as diluent. The bis(2‐chloroethyl) phosphonate groups on the bead surface were converted into phosphono groups by hydrolysis with dilute nitric acid. For the additional enrichment of phosphono groups, the copolymers were phosphorylated at the phenyl rings with phosphorus trichloride in the presence of aluminum chloride and hydrolyzed and oxidized with dilute nitrics acid. The investigations on metal ion chelation characteristics of the bead‐type copolymers revealed that they have very high adsorptivity toward uranyl ions and good chemical resistance under acidic and alkaline media. It was also found that the phosphono group‐containing copolymer beads are effective adsorbents for other heavy metal ions such as Pb2+, Hg2+, Cd2+, and Cu2+.