Diffusion through spherical ion exchange resin beads, both gelular and macroreticular, has been solved analytically.
The two-phase model has been applied to the macroreticular resin bead in order to account for two modes of diffusion, i.e. the pore diffusion and the gelular permeation. The relative importance of the two diffusional processes is determined by the two system parameters.
Experimental data obtained from the chlorination of sulfonated styrene-Divinylbenzene copolymer were analyzed to determine the effective pore and gel phase diffusivities. The difference between the permeability in the gelular bead and that of gelular microparticle in the macroreticular bead can be considered as an indirect conformation that the distribution of crossliking agent, divinylbenzene, is not uniform through the polymer matrix.
