Separation of organic compounds by adsorption processes

Claim 1

A method of ecological improvement, which involves separating a relatively insoluble non-ionogenic, hydrophobic chlorinated pesticidal organic compound from an aqueous medium containing the same at extremely low levels, which comprises: a. passing the medium through a bed of particles of an essentially non-ionogenic, macroreticular, water-insoluble crosslinked polymer of polymerizable ethylenically unsaturated monomers comprising about 2 to 100 weight percent of at least one poly(vinyl)benzene monomer selected from the group consisting of divinylbenzene, trivinylbenzene, alkyldivinylbenzenes having from 1 to 4 alkyl groups of 1 to 2 carbon atoms substituted in the benzene nucleus, and alkyl trivinylbenzenes having from 1 to 3 alkyl groups of 1 to 2 carbon atoms substituted in the benzene nucleus, which polymer has a porosity of at least 30% ranging up to 70% by volume, a surface area of 800 ± 20% square meters per gram, and pores of an average diameter of at least 20 A ranging up to 200 A; and b. flowing a volatile organic solvent, selected from the group consisting of volatile ketones of 3 to 10 carbons, linear and branced alkanols having 1 to 10 carbons, alkyl esters of aliphatic acids from 1 to 10 carbons, aromatics to 10 carbons, and mono- and poly-halogenated alkanes up to 3 carbon atoms, through the loaded polymer bed to release substantially all of the adsorbed compound.

Claim 2

A method of ecological improvement, which involves separating a relatively insoluble non-ionogenic, hydrophobic chlorinated pesticidal organic compound from an aqueous medium containing the same at extremely low levels, which comprises: a. passing the medium through a bed of particles of an essentially non-ionogenic, macroreticular, water-insoluble crosslinked polymer of polymerizable ethylenically unsaturated monomers comprising about 2 to 100 weight percent of at least one poly(vinyl)benzene monomer selected from the group consisting of divinylbenzene, trivinylbenzene, alkyldivinylbenzenes having from 1 to 4 alkyl groups of 1 to 2 carbon atoms substituted in the benzene nucleus, and alkyl trivinylbenzenes having from 1 to 3 alkyl groups of 1 to 2 carbon atoms substituted in the benzene nucleus, which polymer has a porosity of at least 30% ranging up to 70% by volume, a surface area of 800 ± 20% square meters per gram, and pores of an average diameter of at least 20 A ranging up to 200 A; and b. flowing a volatile organic solvent, selected from the group consisting of volatile ketones of 3 to 10 carbons, linear and branced alkanols having 1 to 10 carbons, alkyl esters of aliphatic acids from 1 to 10 carbons, aromatics to 10 carbons, and mono- and poly-halogenated alkanes up to 3 carbon atoms, through the loaded polymer bed to release substantially all of the adsorbed compound.