ABSTRACT
The majority of the ion exchange methods so far employed for the separation of sulfur (S) when present as sulfate are based on its nonadsorption on cation exchange resins of the strongly acidic type. By means of this technique S can be isolated rapidly from virtually all natural and industrial materials of which the cationic constituents are retained from weak acid or neutral solutions. Essentially the same selectivity of separations is achieved by adsorbing sulfate and other species on anion exchange resins from which cationic elements are not retained. On anion exchange resins sulfate is more strongly adsorbed than chloride, so that usually resins in the chloride form are used for separations involving this S species. Anion exchange resins have been used in connection with the determination of sulfate and sulfide in geological and biological materials which include air, water, plants and body fluids.
