Synthesis, characteristics and adsorption properties of polyphenylene sulfide based strong acid ion exchange fiber

A novel strong acid ion exchange fiber (HO₃S-BC-XDC-PPS) was prepared via crosslinking and grafting copolymerization of 1,4-bischloromenthyl benzene (XDC), benzyl chloride (BC) on polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) matrix, as well as following sulfonation reaction. The physicochemical structures and properties of the fibrous ion exchanger were characterized with Fourier transform infrared, scanning electron microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, elementary analysis and chemical titration, respectively. Compared with the preparation of traditional polypropylene–styrene–divinylbenzene-based ion exchange fibers, the synthesis strategy of PPS-based strong acid ion exchange fiber avoided the complicated irradiation grafting process with ⁶⁰Co or other radiation facilities. Owing to the existing of thioether (Ar―S―Ar) and sulfoxide (―SO―) unit in fibrous matrix, a super-equivalent adsorption phenomenon for Cu(II) ion was observed. The HO₃S-BC-XDC-PPS fiber possessed high exchange capacity (≥3.0 mmol/g) and excellent thermostabilities, and the exchange capacity and desorption rate were not decreased after six adsorption desorption cycles. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.