Amberlyst 15WET

Summary

Product identification

AMBERLYST™ 15WET Industrial Grade Strongly Acidic Catalyst

Description

AMBERLYST 15WET is a strongly acidic, sulfonic acid, macroreticular polymeric resin based on crosslinked styrene divinylbenzene copolymers. It features a continuous open pore structure with excellent physical, thermal, and chemical stability. It exhibits greater resistance to oxidants like chlorine, oxygen, and chromates compared to most other polymeric resins. The resin can be used directly in aqueous systems or in organic media after conditioning with a water-miscible solvent.

Catalysis

AMBERLYST 15WET is utilized in various organic reactions. Its optimal balance of surface area, acid capacity, activity, and pore diameter makes it suitable for etherification (MTBE, ETBE, TAME), esterification, and hydration reactions. Its optimized pore size distribution is advantageous for catalysis when fouling is anticipated.

Separation Technologies

This resin can be employed in processes for removing or recovering ionic or organic impurities from process liquors. It can remove both cationic and anionic compounds through ionic and adsorptive interactions. Its resistance to oxidation is highlighted for various applications.

Typical Properties

These properties are typical and do not constitute specifications.

• Physical form: Opaque beads
• Ionic form as shipped: Hydrogen
• Concentration of active sites: ≥ 1.7 eq/L; ≤ 4.7 eq/kg
• Moisture holding capacity: 52 to 57% (H+ form)
• Shipping weight: 770 g/L (48 lbs/ft³)
• Particle size:
  • Uniformity coefficient: ≤ 1.70
  • Harmonic mean size: 0.600 to 0.850 mm
  • Fines content (< 0.355 mm): 1.0% max
  • Coarse beads (> 1.180 mm): 5.0% max
• Nitrogen BET:
  • Surface area: 53 m²/g
  • Average pore diameter: 300 Å
  • Total pore volume: 0.40 ml/g
• Shrinkage:
  • Water to methanol: 5%
  • Water to MTBE: 9%
  • Water to hexane: 22%
  • Water to dry: 37%

Suggested Operating Conditions

• pH range: 0 to 14
• Maximum operating temperature: 120°C (250°F)
• Minimum bed depth: 1000 mm (39 inches)
• Service flow rate: 1 to 40 BV/h (0.125 to 5 gpm/ft³)
• Pressure drop limitation: 1 bar (15 psig) across the bed (for backwash)

Regeneration Conditions

• Regenerants: HCl, H₂SO₄
• Flow rate: 4 to 8 BV/h (0.5 to 1.0 gpm/ft³)
• Concentration: 4 to 10% (HCl); 1 to 5% (H₂SO₄)
• Level: 40 to 100 g/L (2.5 to 6 lbs/ft³) for HCl; 40 to 200 g/L (2.5 to 12 lbs/ft³) for H₂SO₄
• Minimum contact time: 30 minutes
• Slow rinse: 2 BV (15 gal/ft³) at regeneration flow rate
• Fast rinse: 2 to 4 BV (15 to 30 gal/ft³) at service flow rate

BV = 1 m³ solution per m³ of resin. Figure 1 and Figure 2 referenced in the original document are not provided in the text extract.

---

Disclaimer This extraction may miss figures, footnotes, or revisions. Contractual data must match the OEM PDF revision used on the project.

Official datasheet (PDF)

Lenntech datasheet mirror