Ion exchange (IX) is the process of removing dissolved ions from an aqueous solution and replacing those ions with other similarly charged dissolved ions.

This exchange of ions is performed using cylindrical columns filled with spherical beads of polystyrene or acrylic material about ? mm in diameter. The plastic beads become slightly charged during their manufacturing in a functionalization step and with this permanent electrostatic charge, they are able to hold and repeatedly exchange dissolved ions within the solid matrix of the plastic resin beads.

Typical ion exchange resin applications:

Dealkalization
Deionization
Demineralization
Denitrification
Softening
CWT can remove specific ions from the influent stream and replace them with more desirable ions by selecting the correct type of IX resin and placing a specific ion into the resin beads' exchange sites prior to service. Ion exchange resins are used in many applications such as softening domestic water supplies, demineralizing boiler feed water and removing uranium from mining wastewaters.

Benefits of the ion exchange process:

Highly efficient process, > 99.9% removal of desired ions
Very high water recovery, > 97%
Predictable performance
Ability to remove selective impurities
To provide the end-users with all of the benefits that ion exchange resins have to offer and relieve the customer of any on-site chemical storage and neutralization requirements, CWT offers off-site regeneration services through our regionally centralized Service Centers.

Ion exchange resins play a crucial role in the production of high purity water for many industries and are an indispensable part of the water treatment landscape. CWT offers a myriad of customized solutions to match site-specific water treatment challenges.

CWT understands the multi-variable interactions affecting ion exchange resin performance and effluent quality. We understand the operation of IX resins and more importantly; we know how every variable in a water treatment system will affect the IX resin performance.

Let our decades of ion exchange experience and one of our state-of-the-art regeneration facilities improve your water system's performance, reliability and cost stability.

CWT provides standard solutions and custom configurations using ion exchange resins for flow rates from 0.1 liters/minute to thousands of gallons per minute. Each one of our solutions is expertly matched to the site specific feed water conditions and performance requirements to provide a reliable and optimized solution.