STRONG BASIC POLYACRYLATE ANION EXCHANGERS

1 . Quatemized diethylenetriamine-functionalized polyacrylate bead polymers comprising a cross-linked quaternized diethylenetriamine-functionalized polyacrylate bead polymer, wherein the cross-linked polyacrylate bead polymer is prepared from a monomer mixture comprising an acrylic monomer fraction greater than 70 wt % relative to the total amount of monomers and wherein the quatemized diethylenetriamine-functionalized polyacrylate bead polymer comprises basic groups of which 70% to 90% are quatemized groups.

2 . The quatemized diethylenetriamine-functionalized polyacrylate bead polymers according to claim 1 , wherein the polyacrylate bead polymer is prepared on the basis of an acrylic monomer fraction greater than 95 wt % relative to the total amount of monomers.

3 . A process for preparing the quatemized diethylenetriamine-functionalized polyacrylate bead polymers according to claim 1 , the process comprising:

a) reacting a monomer mixture formed of at least one acrylic monomer and at least one multifunctionally ethylenically unsaturated compound, and also optionally monovinylaromatic compounds, and also optionally at least one porogen and/or optionally at least one initiator in an aqueous phase to form a crosslinked bead polymer, wherein a weight quantity of acrylic monomers is greater than 70 wt % relative to the total amount of monomers used, and

b) reacting the bead polymer from step a.) with diethylenetriamine to produce functionalized bead polymer having basic groups, and

c) converting the functionalized bead polymer from step b.) with alkyl or aryl halides into quatemized diethylenetriamine-functionalized polyacrylate bead polymers wherein 70% to 90% of the basic groups are quatemized groups.

4 . The process for preparing the quatemized diethylenetriamine-functionalized polyacrylate bead polymers according to claim 3 , wherein a weight quantity of acrylic monomers is greater than 95 wt % relative to the total amount of monomers used in step a.).

5 . The process according to claim 3 , wherein step b) is conducted at a temperature of 90° C. to 150° C.

6 . The process according to claim 3 , wherein the crosslinked bead polymer of step a.) has an amount of ester/nitrile groups, and the reaction with diethylenetriamine comprises a ratio of 2 to 6 mol diethylenetriamine per mole of the ester/nitrile groups.

7 . The process according to claim 3 , wherein the functionalized polyacrylate bead polymers of step b.) have an amount of basic groups, and the conversion uses 50 mol % to 150 mol % of alkyl or aryl halides relative to the amount of the basic groups.

8 . A process for the removal of oxoanions from aqueous- and/or organic solutions, the process comprising contacting an oxoanion containing aqueous- and/or organic solutions with a at least one quatemized diethylenetriamine-functionalized polyacrylate resin as claimed by claim 1 for sorption of the oxoanions from the solution onto the bead polymer

9 . The process of claim 8 , further comprising:

regenerating the quatemized diethylenetriamine-functionalized polyacrylate bead polymers using an aqueous anion solution to remove oxoanions from the bead polymer; and

reusing the regenerated bead polymers for sorption of further oxoanions from further solutions.

10 . The process of claim 9 , wherein the oxoanions are selected from the group consisting of X n O m − , X n O m 2− , X n O m 3− , HX n O m − or H 2 X n O m 2− , where n represents an integer 1, 2, 3 or 4, m represents an integer 3, 4, 6, 7 or 13 and X represents a metal or transition metal from the series Au, Ag, Cu, Si, P, S, Cr, Ti, Te, Se, V, As, Sb, W, Mo, U, Os, Nb, Bi, Pb, Co, Ni, Fe, Mn, Ru, Re, Tc, Al, B or a non-metal from the series F, Cl, Br, I, CN, C, N.

11 . The process of claim 9 , wherein the oxoanions are selected from the group consisting of chromium(VI) oxoanions, as chromate (VI) and dichromate (VI), perchlorates, chlorates, arsenates, and uranium(VI), uranium(V) and uranium(IV) oxoanions.

12 . The quatemized diethylenetriamine-functionalized polyacrylate bead polymers according to claim 1 , wherein the monomer mixture comprises at least one acrylic monomer and monomers of at least one multifunctionally ethylenically unsaturated compound.

13 . The quatemized diethylenetriamine-functionalized polyacrylate bead polymers according to claim 12 , wherein the monomer mixture comprises mixtures of two or more acrylic monomers, and mixtures of monomers of two or more multifunctionally ethylenically unsaturated compounds.

14 . The quatemized diethylenetriamine-functionalized polyacrylate bead polymers according to claim 13 , wherein the monomer mixture further comprises at least one monovinylaromatic compound, at least one porogen, and at least one initiator.

15 . The quaternized diethylenetriamine-functionalized polyacrylate bead polymers according to claim 14 , wherein:

the acrylic monomers comprise acrylic esters with branched or unbranched C 1 -C 6 alkyl moieties, and nitriles of acrylic acid;

the multifunctionally ethylenically unsaturated compounds comprise butadiene, isoprene, divinylbenzene, divinyltoluene, trivinylbenzene, divinylnaphtalene, trivinylnaphtalene, divinylcyclohexane, trivinylcyclohexane, triallyl cyanurate, triallylamine, 1,7-octadiene, 1,5-hexadiene, cyclopentadiene, norbornadiene, diethylene glycol divinyl ether, triethylene glycol divinyl ether, tetraethylene glycol divinyl ether, butanediol divinyl ether, ethylene glycol divinyl ether, ethylene glycol dimethacrylate, trimethylolpropane trimethacrylate, allyl methacrylate, cyclohexanedimethanol divinyl ether, hexanediol divinyl ether or trimethylolpropane trivinyl ether;

the monovinylaromatic compounds comprises styrene, methylstyrene, ethylstyrene, chlorostyrene or vinylpyridine;

the porogens comprise compounds hexane, octane, isooctane, isododecane, methyl ethyl ketone, methyl isobutyl ketone, dichloroethane, dichloropropane, butanol, pentanol, hexanol, octanol, and isomers thereof, and mixtures thereof; and

the initiator comprises peroxy compounds and/or azo compounds.

16 . The process of claim 3 , wherein the monomer mixture further comprises at least one of: at least one monovinylaromatic compound, at least one porogen, and at least one initiator.

17 . The process of claim 3 , wherein the monomer mixture further comprises: at least one monovinylaromatic compound; at least one porogen; and at least one initiator.

18 . The process of claim 17 , wherein:

the acrylic monomers comprise acrylic esters with branched or unbranched C 1 -C 6 alkyl moieties, and nitriles of acrylic acid;

the multifunctionally ethylenically unsaturated compounds comprise butadiene, isoprene, divinylbenzene, divinyltoluene, trivinylbenzene, divinylnaphtalene, trivinylnaphtalene, divinylcyclohexane, trivinylcyclohexane, trially cyanurate, triallylamine, 1,7-octadiene, 1,5-hexadiene, cyclopentadiene, norbornadiene, diethylene glycol divinyl ether, triethylene glycol divinyl ether, tetraethylene glycol divinyl ether, butanediol divinyl ether, ethylene glycol divinyl ether, ethylene glycol dimethacrylate, trimethylolpropane trimethacrylate, allyl methacrylate, cyclohexanedimethanol divinyl ether, hexanediol divinyl ether or trimethylolpropane trivinyl ether;

the monovinylaromatic compounds comprises styrene, methylstyrene, ethylstyrene, chlorostyrene or vinylpyridine;

the porogens comprise compounds hexane, octane, isooctane, isododecane, methyl ethyl ketone, methyl isobutyl ketone, dichloroethane, dichloropropane, butanol, pentanol, hexanol, octanol, and isomers thereof, and mixtures thereof; and

the initiator comprises peroxy compounds and/or azo compounds.