Dielectric relaxation spectroscopy of macroporous IER beads suspensions dispersed in primary alcohols and water–ethanol mixtures

Dielectric measurements were first carried out on suspensions of ion-exchange resin beads dispersed in primary alcohols and water–ethanol mixtures in the frequency range 40 Hz–110 MHz. Due to the large bead radius, only Maxwell–Wagner (M–W) dielectric relaxations were observed. Regular dielectric behaviors were observed and phase parameters concerning constituent phases’ properties were determined through dielectric analysis, which revealed that the properties and the dispersing state of the bead are strongly dependent on the properties of dispersion medium. It is also found that dry beads cannot be completely soaked by alcohols with long aliphatic chain, and that suspension in water-rich mixture has similar dielectric behavior as in pure water due to the mixtureʹs molecular construction. Then the dielectric behaviors of the following suspensions were measured as a function of time: suspensions of beads that have been equilibrated with water/ethanol redispersed in ethanol/water. The dielectric behaviors showed remarkable time dependency, characterized by distinct transitions on the curves of time dependent relaxation parameters. Based on the above understandings, the time dependent dielectric behaviors were analyzed in detail. It is showed that the time dependency directly reflected such processes as ion diffusion, solvent diffusion and solvent uptake that the systems undergo.