Process for preparing monodisperse ion exchangers having chelating functional

A process for removing heavy metals or noble metals from aqueous solutions, from saline solutions from alkali metal chloride electrolysis, from aqueous hydrochloric acid, from waste water or flue gas scrubber effluent, from ground water or landfill eluate, from liquid or gaseous hydrocarbons, carboxylic acids, or from halogenated hydro-carbons comprising:

• contacting the aqueous solution, the saline solution, the aqueous hydrochloric acid, the waste water or flue gas effluent, the ground water or landfill eluate, the liquid or gaseous hydrocarbon, the carboxylic acid, or the halogenated hydrocarbon with ion exchanger having chelating functional groups,
• wherein the ion exchanger is prepared by
• (a) reacting monomer droplets made from at least one monovinylaromatic compound and at least one polyvinylaromatic compound to give a monodisperse, crosslinked bead polymer.
• (b) amidomethylating the monodisperse, crosslinked bead polymer from step (a) with phthalimide derivatives.
• (c) converting the amidomethylated bead polymer from step (b) to an aminomethylated bead polymer, and
• (d) converting the aminomethylated bead polymer from step (c) to ion exchangers having chelating groups.