PRODUCTION OF SPHERICAL ION-EXCHANGE RESIN

PURPOSE:To produce a polymer excellent in shape, capable of repeating regeneration-loading without readily causing fracture, excellent in strength and useful as an ion-exchange resin, etc., by carrying out suspension polymerization of a monofunctional monomer capable of addition polymerization and a polyfunctional monomer capable of addition polymerization in the presence of a specified compound in an aqueous medium. CONSTITUTION:The objective spherical crosslinked copolymer is synthesized by carrying out suspension polymerization of (A) a monofunctional monomer capable of addition polymerization, e.g. styrene and (B) preferably 1 to 20wt.% polyfunctional monomer capable of addition polymerization, e.g. divinyl benzene in the presence of a dialkyl ester of a peracid of the formula (R1 and R3 are each a 1 to 10C alkyl; R2 is a 4 to 10C alkylene), e.g. di-tert-butyl peroxy hexahydroterephthalate as a polymerization initiator in an aqueous medium. In addition, if ion-exchange groups such as sulfonic acid group are introduced into this copolymer, an ion-exchange resin can be produced.