Metals characterization of a new bifunctional monophosphonate ester resin

Extraction of metal cations (Cu^{2+, Ca2+, Ag+, Cs+, Al3+, Li+,Y3+, Ba2+, K+, Na+, T1+, Ni2+, and Hg2+) from aqueous solutions were made using a polystyrene-based bifunctional ion-exchange resin. The resin's functional groups consisted of approximately 50-55% diethyl styrylmethylenephosphonic acid, 45-40% monoethyl styrylmethylenephosphonic acid, and 5% styryl- methylenephosphonic acid moieties. The effects of acid concentration and the amount of metal cation introduced were studied.}

Samples were equilibrated for no less than 24 hours, and the aqueous metal cation concentrations were determined by atomic absorption or atomic emission techniques. Acidities of solutions were determined by pH measurements.

By constructing plots of the logarithm of the distribution of the metal cations between the organic and aqueous phases and the distribution of the hydrogen-ion concentration between the two phases, the affinities of the resin for the metal cations were determined. An affinity series for the resin was determined, and this series was compared to those for other phosphorus-containing resins.