Coordinating resins and use thereof in selectively recovering metals

Chelating resins for use in selectively binding heavy metals, having the structure ##STR47## where Ps represents a copolymer of a poly(divinylbenzene), and R represents an organic radical having a coordinating ability containing at least one N and/or S atom but not a --COH or --COOH group, that is bound to the S atom, SR being attached to Ps through an ethylene group, and wherein R is further selected from:

• (a) (CH.sub.2).sub.m X, where m is selected from among 2, 3 and 4, and X is selected from among SO.sub.3 -- and NR'R", where R' and R" are selected from among hydrogen, methyl, ethyl, propyl, isopropyl, butyl, isobutyl, tert-butyl and [(CH.sub.2).sub.d A].sub.e (CH.sub.2).sub.f B where d is selected from among 2, 3 or 4, A is selected from among O, S or NH, e is selected from 0 to 10, f is selected from among 2, 3 or 4, and B is selected from H, OCH.sub.3, SH, SCH.sub.3, NH.sub.2 or NHCH.sub.3, or so that R'R" is of the form [(CH.sub.2).sub.a Z].sub.b (CH.sub.2).sub.c, where Z is selected from among O, S or NH, a is selected from among 2, 3 and 4, b is selected from between 0 and 6, and c is selected from among 2, 3, 4 and 5;
• (b) [(CH.sub.2).sub.m X'].sub.n (CH.sub.2).sub.p Y, where m is selected from among 2, 3 and 4, X' is selected from O, S or NH, n is selected from 1 to 10, p is selected from 1 with Y.dbd.H, or from 2, 3, 4, or 5 with Y selected from H, SR' or NR'R", where R' and R" are selected as in (a) herein;
• (c) [(CH.sub.2).sub.m X'].sub.g (CH.sub.2).sub.h Y', where m is selected from 2, 3 or 4, X' is selected from among S, O or NH, g is selected from 0 to 10, h is selected from 0 to 4, and Y' is a 5-membered aromatic ring containing one of O, S or NH as part of the ring, and whose other four atoms that are also part of the ring are selected from sp.sup.2 -hybridized .dbd.N-- or .dbd.C<, so that in the functional group Ps--CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 --S[(CH.sub.2).sub.m X].sub.g (CH.sub.2).sub.h Y' there is at least one heteroatom selected from O, except OH, S or N, that is connected through no more than 3 intervening atoms to the aromatic ring at a carbon that is either adjacent to a ring heteroatom selected from S, O and .dbd.N--, except NH unless it can readily tautomerize to .dbd.N--, or to a carbon that is connected through no more than 3 intervening atoms to a substituent heteroatom selected from S, O, except OH, and N;
• (d) [(CH.sub.2).sub.m X'].sub.g (CH.sub.2).sub.h Y", where m is selected from 2, 3 or 4, X is selected from among S, O or NH, g is selected from 0 to 10, h is selected from 0 to 4, and Y" is a 6-membered aromatic ring whose six atoms that are part of the ring are selected from sp.sup.2 -hybridized .dbd.N-- or C--, so that in the functional group Ps--CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 --S[(CH.sub.2).sub.m X].sub.g (CH.sub.2).sub.h Y" there is at least one heteroatom selected from O, except OH, S or N, that is connected through no more than 3 intervening atoms to the aromatic ring at a carbon that is either adjacent to a ring heteroatom selected from S, O and .dbd.N--, except NH unless it can readily tautomerize to .dbd.N--, or to a carbon that is connected through no more than 3 intervening atoms to a substituent heteroatom selected from S, O, except OH, and N;
• and
• (e) [(CH.sub.2).sub.m X'].sub.g (CH.sub.2).sub.h Y"', where m is selected from 2, 3 or 4, X is selected from among S, O or NH, g is selected from 0 to 10, h is selected from 0 to 4, and Y"' is a binuclear aromatic ring system composed of 2 fused 6-membered rings whose 10 atoms that are part of the rings are selected from sp.sup.2 -hybridized .dbd.N-- or .dbd.C--, so that in the functional group Ps--CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 --S[(CH.sub.2).sub.m X'].sub.g (CH.sub.2).sub.h Y"' there is at least one heteroatom selected from O, but not OH, S or N, that is connected through no more than 3 intervening atoms to the aromatic ring at a carbon that is either adjacent to a ring heteroatom selected from S, O and .dbd.N--, but not NH unless it can readily tautomerize to .dbd.N--, or to a carbon that is connected through no more than 3 intervening atoms to a substituent heteroatom selected from S, O, but not OH, and N.
• (f) (CH.sub.2).sub.m CHA(CH.sub.2).sub.n B, where m is selected from 1 to 10, n is selected from 1 to 10, and where A and B are selected from SH or SO.sub.3 --, whereby if A is SH, said resin may contain some groups R.dbd.CH[(CH.sub.2).sub.m SH][(CH.sub.2).sub.n B], and if B is SH, said resin may also contain groups R.dbd.(CH.sub.2).sub.n CHA(CH.sub.2).sub.m SH.
• (g) CH.sub.2 COO(CH.sub.2).sub.m CHA(CH.sub.2).sub.n A, where m is selected from 1 to 10, n is selected from 1 to 10, and A is OOCCH.sub.2 SH, whereby said resin may also contain some groups R selected from CH.sub.2 COOCH[(CH.sub.2).sub.m A][(CH.sub.2).sub.n A] or CH.sub.2 COO(CH.sub.2).sub.n CHA(CH.sub.2).sub.m A.