Ion Exchange Method For Water Treatment

The terms ion exchange deionization and demineralization are often used synonymously to refer to the same process.

Ion exchange method for water treatment.

This is accomplished by exchanging calcium ca 2 and magnesium mg 2 cations against na or h cations see water softening. Cations refer to positively charged ions dissolved in the water. Ion exchange ix is a method of removing undesirable metallic salt ions from water by exchanging them with other ions attached to a media or resin. Standard water softeners are cation exchange devices.

But what exactly is it. Two positively charged sodium or potassium ions are exchanged released into the water for every calcium or magnesium ion that is held by the resin. Ion exchange is a method widely used in household laundry detergents and water filters to produce soft water. Calcium ca2 and magnesium mg2 ions that cause water hardness can be removed fairly easily by using an ion exchange procedure.

Ion exchange is a water treatment process commonly used for water softening or demineralization but it also is used to remove other substances from the water in processes such as dealkalization deionization and disinfection. Conventional water softening appliances intended for household use depend on an ion exchange resin in which hardness ions mainly ca 2 and mg 2 are. However deionization and demineralization may be accomplished by technologies other than ion exchange see reverse osmosis ion exchange is a process used extensively in nuclear facilities industrial processes and medical and pharmaceutical operations to control the. Ion exchange describes a specific chemical process in which unwanted dissolved ions are exchanged for other ions with a similar charge.

In the ion exchange process a granular substance usually a resin that is coated with sodium or potassium ions comes into contact with water containing calcium and magnesium ions. Both the contaminant and the exchanged substance must be dissolved and have the same type of electrical charge positive or negative. The most common means for removing water hardness rely on ion exchange resin or reverse osmosis other approaches include precipitation methods and sequestration by the addition of chelating agents. This chemical process occurs because ions have differing affinities for the resin and these ions will replace ions with less attraction as they flow over the media.