Ion exchange resin demineralization systems are treatment systems that remove dissolved mineral salts (cations and anions) from water to obtain high-purity water, often with conductivity close to zero.
Used in various sectors, from electroplating to steam production, they consist of columns (cationic/anionic) or regenerable mixed beds, and require periodic maintenance to maintain efficiency.
The systems operate with cation exchange resins (which release H+) and anion exchange resins (which release OH-), which remove almost all dissolved salts, producing demineralized water.
When the resin is saturated with calcium/magnesium ions and can no longer perform exchange, its capacity is restored via a regenerating solution (acids/bases), which expels the captured ions and recharges the resin with the original ions.
To correctly design an ion exchange resin system, it is essential to have a complete water analysis in order to determine the performance that can be obtained from the system (and consequently to provide the appropriate type of pretreatment).
The more information available regarding the quality of the water to be treated, the more accurate the design of the system will be.