SULFONATION PROCESS

Sulfonation to produce macroporous or monodisperse-gel-forming cation exchangers comprises metering macroporous or monodisperse-gel-forming pearl polymer without a swelling agent at 110-140 degrees C into H2SO4, post-stirring until sulfonation is completed, diluting the sulfonated polymer with H2SO4 and then washing the product with deionized water. Sulfonation to produce macroporous or monodisperse-gel-forming cation exchangers comprises: (a) metering macroporous or monodisperse-gel-forming pearl polymer without a swelling agent at 110-140 degrees C into H2SO4; (b) post-stirring at this temperature until sulfonation is completed; (c) diluting the sulfonated polymer in timed stages with H2SO4 of decreasing concentration; and (d) washing the product with completely deionized water. Independent claims are also included for the following: (1) cation exchanger products in the H-form; and (2) cation exchanger products in the Na-form obtained by reloading H-form product with caustic soda of 10-60 wt.% concentration. La presente invencion se refiere a un procedimiento para la obtencion de intercambiadores de iones con estructura macroporosa o en forma de gel, monodispersados, fuertemente acidos, especialmente intercambiadores de cationes monodispersados, macroporosos y heterodispersados macroporosos y en forma de gel monodispersados con acido sulfurico, en el cual se deja actuar este de manera escalonada, ciclica, a lo largo del gradiente de concentracion, sobre el polimero de base correspondiente, a los intercambiadores de cationes fabricados segun este procedimiento asi como a su empleo.