Process for the production of cationic exchanger resins

Cationic exchanger resins are produced by pearl copolymerization of a mixture of one or more polyvinyl hydrocarbons and monovinyl aromatic compounds in suspension in the presence of 0.1-10% polar vinyl, epoxy group containing compounds or organic solvents and of insoluble in water inorganic suspension stabilizers and of non-ionic surface active agents, the copolymers being swollen with 15-40% of halogenated hydrocarbon, sulphonated and after removal of excess sulphonation agent, treated with steam. The copolymer may be based on styrene and divinyl benzene. The sulphonation may be carried out with sulphuric acid, oleum, chlorosulphonic acid and/or liquid sulphur trioxide. The steam treatment may be carried out at 100-250 DEG C. The suspension stabilizers may be magnesium silicate or hydroxide, hydroxy-apatite or barium sulphate and the surface active agents may be mono-fatty acid esters of polybasic watersoluble alcohols, paraffin sulphamides and polyethylene oxide. The swelling agent may be a chloro-methane, -ethane, -ethylene, -benzene or -toluene or bromobenzene. The resins may be treated with sodium sulphate or hydroxide solutions. In examples styrene and divinyl-benzene were polymerized with acrylonitrile or epichlorohydrin using dibenzoyl or dilauryl peroxide or azo-bis-isobutyric acid nitrile as catalyst.