Investigation of the Effect of Nanosilica on Morphology and Properties of Weak Base Anion Exchange Resins

Poly (Methylacrylate-Divinylbenzene) copolymer and poly (Methylacrylate-Divinylbenzene)/ modified silica nanocomposite beads were prepared by suspension polymerization technique. Resulting beads were functionalized by diethylene triamine to obtain weak base anion exchange resins. SEM images demonstrated that beads had spherical morphology and TEM images showed uniform distribution of the silica particles in polymer matrix. Ion exchange capacity data confirmed very good anion exchange functionality for all samples. SEM images after Ball-Mill tests showed improved mechanical strength for nanocomposite resins