Ion exchange is a water treatment process that removes unwanted ions from water and replaces them with more desirable ions. It uses specialized resins, small porous beads with charged sites to attract and exchange ions in the water. This process is widely used for demineralization (removing dissolved minerals) and softening (reducing Ca & Mg ions which cause most pipe scale).
Resin Vessels: Water passes through columns filled with ion exchange resins. These resins are either cationic (attracting positively charged ions) or anionic (attracting negatively charged ions).
Ion Swap: As water flows through, undesirable ions (e.g., calcium, magnesium, or salts) bind to the resin, releasing exchange ions (e.g., sodium or hydrogen) into the water.
Regeneration: When the resin becomes saturated, it’s regenerated by flushing with a concentrated solution (e.g., brine for softening or acids/bases for demineralization) to restore its ion exchange capacity.
Ion exchange technology with first commercial usage developed in 1906 is a long-standing, versatile technology used to achieve high-quality water tailored to specific needs. Whether softening water for low pressure boiler feedwater or demineralizing for specialty chemical processes, ion exchange delivers reliable results with minimal complexity.
Ion exchange reduces iron (Fe²⁺) and manganese (Mn²⁺) in water by passing it through cation exchange resins that selectively bind these positively charged ions, replacing them with sodium (Na⁺) or hydrogen (H⁺) ions. The process effectively removes dissolved iron and manganese, which cause staining, taste issues, and equipment fouling.
Sidestream water softening treats a portion of the cooling tower's recirculating water using ion exchange to remove hardness-causing ions (calcium, Ca²⁺, and magnesium, Mg²⁺). A small stream of water is diverted through cation exchange resins, which replace these ions with sodium (Na⁺), reducing scale formation. The softened water is then reintroduced to the cooling loop, maintaining lower hardness levels. Resins are periodically regenerated with brine. This method minimizes scale buildup, improves heat transfer efficiency, reduces maintenance, and extends equipment life in cooling towers.
Ion exchange resin removes per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from water by passing it through specialized anionic exchange resins designed to selectively bind PFAS compounds, which are negatively charged. These resins exchange PFAS ions for harmless ions (e.g., chloride, Cl⁻), effectively reducing PFAS concentrations to EPA acceptable levels. Generally these resins are single use and can be disposed of at a landfill. This method is highly effective for treating contaminated groundwater or drinking water, offering reliable PFAS removal with minimal waste when utilized correctly.
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