| Abstract: | Copoly(diethyl vinylbenzylphosphonate/hydroxyethyl methacrylate) [copoly(VBP–HEMA)] and copoly(diethyl vinylbenzylphosphonate/vinylbenzyl chloride) [copoly(VBP–VBC)] were prepared and their membranes crosslinked by a reaction of ethylene glycol diglycidyl ether and ethylene diamine with, respectively, hydroxyl and methylene chloride groups in their side chains. Pervaporation (PV) and sorption of benzene–n‐hexane (Bz–Hx), benzene–cyclohexane (Bz–Cx), and toluene–n‐octane (Tol–n‐Ot) mixtures were investigated. The membranes were in a rubbery state and preferentially permeable to aromatics. They had higher specific permeation flux and a lower PV separation factor compared with the crosslinked membranes of methacrylate copolymers with analogous pendant groups. They displayed better PV performance for Tol–n‐Ot. Sorption isotherms of Bz–Hx mixtures were represented by the Flory–Rehner model. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 87: 2177–2185, 2003 |
