Determination of the adsorption equilibrium of alcohols and alkenes on a sulphonated styrene-divinylbenzene copolymer

The adsorption equilibrium constants of the alcohols: methanol, ethanol and propan-1-ol, and of the alkenes: 2-methylpropene, 2-methylbut-1-ene, 2-methylbut-2-ene, 2-methylpent-1-ene, 2-methylpent-2-ene and 2-methylhex-2-ene, onto the sulphonated styrene-divinylbenzene copolymer Amberlyst 15 were determined by inverse gas chromatography. During the adsorption measurements, catalytic reactions such as dehydration of the alcohols as well as isomerization and dimerization of the alkenes were controlled to see whether or not they occurred on the surface of Amberlyst 15. The physical integrity of the adsorption equilibrium constants determined experimentally for the alkenes was verified by calculation of their adsorption enthalpies and the use of Boudart's rules.