Ion Exchange

Ion exchange is a water treatment method process that involves the exchange of ions between a solid (often a resin) and a liquid (water) in order to remove or replace specific ions from the water. This process is commonly used for water softening, demineralization and removing various contaminates from water. These functional groups are usually charged and attract ions with opposite charged so when the water containing ions comes into contact with the resin, ions in the water are attracted and absorbed onto the functional groups of the resin. The absorbed ions are then exchanged with ions of similar charge that are already attached to the resin. For example, in water softening, the resin exchanges calcium and magnesium ions (which cause hardness) for sodium ions. Ion exchange is used in various water treatment applications, including water softening to reduce hardness, demineralization to remove minerals, deionization to produce ultrapure water, and removal of specific contaminants like nitrates, heavy metals, and radioactive ions. Ion exchange is a versatile and effective method to treat water that can be tailored to address specific water quality issues.