PURIFICATION OF DIVINYLBENZENE

PURPOSE:To carry out the purification of the titled compound by treating crude divinylbenzene with a complexing agent, separating and decomposing the obtained complex, removing the complexing agent by fractionation, and treating the divinylbenzene phase with an alkaline aqueous solution, thereby remarkably reducing the amount of copper or silver. CONSTITUTION:A crude divinylbenzene containing impurities such as ethylstyrene, diethylbenzene, etc. is mixed with a complexing agent composed of a cuprous salt (e.g. cuprous halide) and/or a silver salt (e.g. silver nitrate), (preferably cuprous chloride) to obtain a complex of divinylbenzene and the complexing agent. The complex is separated and decomposed, and the separated complexing agent is removed to obtain divinylbenzene. In the above process, the divinylbenzene phase obtained by separating the complexing agent is treated with an aqueous solution of an alkali such a NaOH, Ca(OH)2, etc. to effect the remarkable reduction of the amount of the complexing metal ion such as copper ion, silver ion, etc. and to achieve the sufficient purification of divinylbenzene.