Alkaline hydrolysis of ethyl acrylate–acrylonitrile–divinylbenzene copolymer beads

This article deals with the alkaline hydrolysis of ethyl acrylate–acrylonitrile–divinylbenzene copolymer beads. Chemical changes during hydrolysis were evaluated by means of determination of total weight exchange capacity and of infrared spectroscopy. The influence of reaction temperature, concentration of the hydrolytic agent, degree of copolymers crosslinking as well as the influence of particle size upon the rate of hydrolysis were studied as a function of time. The mathematical and statistical calculations of experimental data were carried out. With respect to time dependence of hydrolysis of the copolymer functional groups, the average values of reaction rate constants as well as the values of assumed diffusion coefficients were calculated. The analysis is based on partial linearization of experimental results by means of semilogarithmic transformation. The empirical relations expressing dependences of reaction rate constants and of diffusion coefficients on conditions of hydrolysis were determined.