Thermally regenerable salt sorbents

1 . A heterogenous hybrid resin having two relatively independent phases comprising:

a crosslinked macroporous host copolymer phase formed from a polyunsaturated monomer and a monoethylenically unsaturated monomer containing a functionality convertible to a weak acid;

said macroporous host copolymer being at least partially filled in the macropores thereof with a crosslinked guest copolymer phase formed from a polyunsaturated monomer and a monoethylenically unsaturated monomer containing a haloalkyl group.

2 . A hybrid resin according to claim 1 wherein said haloalkyl group comprises a chloroalkyl group.

3 . A hybrid resin according to claim 2 wherein said chloroalkyl group comprises a chloromethyl group.

4 . A hybrid resin according to claim 1 wherein said polyunsaturated monomer containing a functionality convertible to a weak acid comprises an acrylic ester.

5 . A method of forming a precursor for a heterogenous thermally regnerable salt sorbent having two relatively independent phases comprising the step of forming a crosslinked copolymer by polymerization of a polyunsaturated monomer and a monoethylenically unsaturated monomer containing a haloalkyl group in the presence of a macroporous copolymer, said macroporous copolymer formed from a polyunsaturated monomer and a monoethylenically unsaturated monomer containing a functionality convertible to a weak acid.

6 . A method according to claim 5 wherein said haloalkyl group comprises a chloroalkyl group.

7 . A method according to claim 6 wherein said chloroalkyl group comprises a chloromethyl group.

8 . A method according to claim 5 wherein said monoethylenically unsaturated monomer containing a functionality convertible to a weak acid comprises an acrylic ester.

9 . A method according to claim 5 wherein said polyunsaturated monomer comprises divinylbenzene.

10 . A method according to claim 5 wherein said monoethylenically unsaturated monomer containing a haloalkyl group comprises vinylbenzyl chloride.

11 . A method for forming a heterogenous thermally regenerable salt sorbent resin having two relatively independent phases comprising the steps of:

(a) treating a heterogenous hybrid resin having two relatively independent phases, said heterogenous hybrid resin comprising a crosslinked macroporous host copolymer phase formed from a polyunsaturated monomer and a monoethylenically unsaturated monomer containing a functionality convertible to a weak acid, said macroporous host copolymer being at least partially filled in the macropores thereof with a crosslinked guest copolymer phase formed from a polyunsaturated monomer and a monoethylenically unsaturated monomer containing a haloalkyl group with a weak base to thereby at least partially convert said haloalkyl groups to weak base groups to form a heterogenous hybrid weak base resin;

(b) treating said heterogenous hybrid weak base resin with a hydrolyzing agent to thereby at least partially convert said functionalities convertible to weak acids to weak acid groups to form said heterogenous hybrid thermally regenerable salt sorbent resin having two relatively independent phases, one phase comprising a macroporous host copolymer having said weak acid groups and the other phase comprising a crosslinked guest copolymer having said weak base groups.

12 . A method according to claim 11 wherein said haloalkyl groups comprise chloroalkyl groups.

13 . A method according to claim 12 wherein said chloroalkyl comprise chloromethyl groups.

14 . A method according to claim 11 wherein said monoethylenically unsaturated monomer containing a functionality convertible to weak acid comprises an acrylic ester.

15 . A method according to claim 11 wherein said monoethylenically unsaturated monomer containing halo alkyl groups comprises vinylbenzyl chloride.

16 . A method according to claim 11 wherein said weak acid groups comprise carboxylic acid groups.

17 . A method according to claim 11 wherein said weak base groups comprise dialkylamine groups.

18 . A method according to claim 17 wherein said dialkylamine groups comprise dimethylamine groups.

19 . A method of treating an aqueous fluid to substantially reduce the concentration of dissolved salts contained therein, comprising the steps of:

(a) contacting said aqueous fluid within a first temperature range with a mass of thermally regenerable hybrid salt sorbent resin having two relatively independent phases comprising a first phase comprising a host macroporous copolymer of a polyunsaturated monomer and a monoethylenically unsaturated monomer containing weak acid groups and further comprising a second phase comprising a crosslinked guest copolymer of a polyunsaturated monomer and a monoethylenically unsaturated monomer containing weak basic groups; wherein the pores of said host macroporous copolymer of said first phase are at least partially filled with said guest copolymer of said second phase; and

(b) regenerating said hybrid salt sorbent resin by elution with an aqueous regenerant fluid within a second temperature range wherein said second temperature range is greater than said first temperature range.

20 . A method according to claim 19 wherein said first temperature range is about 5° C. to 25° C.

21 . A method according to claim 19 wherein said second temperature range is about 60° to 100° C.

22 . A method according to claim 19 wherein said weak base groups comprise a dialkyl amine.

23 . A method according to claim 22 wherein said dialkyl amine comprises dimethylamine.

24 . A method according to claim 19 wherein said weak acid groups comprise a carboxylic acid group.

25 . A method according to claim 19 wherein said polyunsaturated monomer comprises divinylbenzene.