Sorption of organics from aqueous solution onto polymeric resins

The uptake of phenol, toluene, chlorobenzene, and benzoic acid by several polymeric resins and activated carbon was investigated experimentally. Presentation of the sorption data in terms of the number of sorbed monolayers and fractional pore volume filled indicated that, for the polymeric resins, solute uptake cannot be viewed as only a surface adsorption phenomenon. It is suggested that the aqueous phase uptake of phenol, toluene, chlorobenzene, and benzoic acid by the polymeric resins is attributable, in part, to solute absorption. The present study also suggests that solute uptake is affected by the swelling of some of the polymeric resins in water.