Water Treatment Ion Exchange Process

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.
Water treatment ion exchange process. But what exactly is it. In the ion exchange process sodium ions are used to coat an exchange medium in the softener. Ion exchange usually describes a processes of purification of aqueous solutions using solid polymeric ion exchange resin more precisely the term encompasses a large variety of processes where ions are exchanged between two electrolytes. The ion exchange process can be used in a variety of ways when it comes to water purification and softening.
Removal of ions minerals from ha. Unwanted ions that are dissolved in the water are replaced with new beneficial or harmless ions of an equivalent charge. The exchange medium can be natural zeolites or synthetic resin beads that resemble wet sand. 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 ix systems are used across a variety of industries for water softening purification and separation purposes. In the first section of the present chapter the kinetics and thermodynamics of ion exchange are presented. Aside from its use to purify drinking water the technique is widely applied for purification and separation of a variety of industrially and medicinally. The terms ion exchange deionization and demineralization are often used synonymously to refer to the same process.
As hard water passes through a softener the calcium and magnesium trade places with sodium ions figure 1. Water is made of water molecules formula h2o. All natural waters contain some foreign substances usually in small amounts. Ion exchange describes a specific chemical process in which unwanted dissolved ions are exchanged for other ions with a similar charge.
Ion exchange is a water treatment method where one or more undesirable ionic contaminants are removed from water by exchange with another non objectionable or less objectionable ionic substance. Water softening water purification method. This video explains the demineralisation process in detail. Both the contaminant and the exchanged substance must be dissolved and have the same type of electrical charge positive or negative.
The process of ion exchange is one of the most utilized techniques in water and wastewater treatment as well as in separation processes as chemical synthesis medical research food processing mining agriculture etc.