Ion exchange technology uses solid resin beads to preferentially exchange ions in solution through reversible chemical reactions. Common applications include water softening, demineralization, and removal of heavy metals, ammonia, and radioactive ions. Ion exchange resins have specific selectivity for different ions based on factors like ionic charge and hydrated radius.
Ion exchange technology uses solid resin beads to preferentially exchange ions in solution through reversible chemical reactions. Common applications include water softening, demineralization, and removal of heavy metals, ammonia, and radioactive ions. Ion exchange resins have specific selectivity for different ions based on factors like ionic charge and hydrated radius.
Ion exchange technology uses solid resin beads to preferentially exchange ions in solution through reversible chemical reactions. Common applications include water softening, demineralization, and removal of heavy metals, ammonia, and radioactive ions. Ion exchange resins have specific selectivity for different ions based on factors like ionic charge and hydrated radius.
Ion exchange technology uses solid resin beads to preferentially exchange ions in solution through reversible chemical reactions. Common applications include water softening, demineralization, and removal of heavy metals, ammonia, and radioactive ions. Ion exchange resins have specific selectivity for different ions based on factors like ionic charge and hydrated radius.
Step 1:Ion movement from bulk to the surface or pores of resin
•. Movement of the ions from bulk of solution
•. Diffusion of the ions through the laminar film •. Diffusion iff i off the ions i through the pores
Laminar film
Ion
resin
Bulk solution 23 Step 2:Ion exchange
resin resin
Exchangeable ion on resin, such as H+, Na+ or OH- etc
24 Step3: Movement of exchanged ion from resin to bulk
•. Diffusion of the exchanged ions outward
•.. Diffusion of the exchanged ions through laminar layer •. Movement of exchanged ion into bulk of solution
Laminar film
resin
Bulk solution
25 Ion o eexchange c ge capacity c p c y
The total capacity of an ion exchange resin is defined as
the total number of chemical equivalents available for exchange per some unit weight or unit volume of resin
ii.e. e the amount of ions that a given amount of resin is capable of removing
26 Unitt o U of ion o exchange e c a ge capac capacity ty
The capacity may be expressed in terms of
- milliequivalents illi i l t per dry d gram off resin i or
- millequivalents per mL or L of resin
27 Example:
A raw water is polluted by some undesired metals:
Copper: 2 mg/L Zinc: 1 mg/L Nickel: 1.5 mg/L
The flow rate is 0.5 m3/min. Design a cation exchange system operating 16 h/day to remove the metals. The operating capacity of cation resin is 1 1.5 5 equivalent/L (dry vol) vol). (Zn=65; Cu=64; Ni=59)
28 ●. The cations to be removed:
Cu 2/32 = 0.06 meq/L
Zn 1/32.5 = 0.03 meq/L
q
Ni 1.5/29.5 = 0.05 meq/L
●. The total daily equivalent to be removed:
(Cu+Zn+Ni)×(500 L/min)×(16×60 min/day)
= (0.14×10 (0 14×10-3 eq/L)×(192000 L/day)
= 67 eq/day
29 ●. The resin required: q
Cations to be removed 67 eq / day
= ≈ 45 L / day exchange capacity 1.5 eq / L
How to use this figure in design?
30 Question: Why anion resin has a smaller exchange capacity than cation resin? 31 Cation resin Anion resin
D it off wett resin
Density i ((g/ml) / l) 1 27 1.27 1 10 1.10
Bulk density of loaded bed (including voids) 0.80 0.62
(g/ml)) (g
The anion resin is less dense than the cation resin
Thus, it has a smaller exchange capacity for a given
volume
Question: How this affects the design of ion exchanger? 32 Implication:
A larger volume (mass) is needed for anion resins than for
the cation resins to obtain equal total exchange capabilities
Small bed volume Large bed volume
Vc < Va
Cation Anion
33 Active or exchange zone
Exhausted
t1
t2 A ti zone Active t3
fresh
34 Estimate of active zone: ⎧ ⎛C + C n ⎞⎫ 2 ⎨( Vx − Vb )C o − ∑ ( Vn +1 − Vn )⎜ n +1 ⎟⎬ ⎝ ⎠⎭ δ= ⎩ 2 ⎛X⎞ A sρp ⎜ ⎟ ⎝ M ⎠ ult
δ: length of active zone
Vx: total volume of water treated at complete exhaustion of bed Vb: volume of water treated at breakthrough Co: influent concentration to δ Vn+1: total volume treated at time tn+1 Vn: total volume treated at time tn Cn+1: concentration of solute at effluent of δ at time tn+1 Cn: concentration of solute at effluent of δ at time tn As: superficial area of ion exchanger bed ρp: packed density of ion exchange materials (X/M)utl: maximum exchange capacity
35 R Remarks: k
●. The length of active zone is dependent on the flow rate
●. The faster the rate of application, the longer the length of
active zone
●. The slower the rate of application, the shorter the length
off active ti zone
36 Breakthrough When all exchangeable sites of resin are saturated, no ions can be further removed, the resin bed is broken through Na+ Na+ Ca2+
fresh
used
Fresh resin bed
Ca2+ Ca2+ Ca2+ with R-Na+
Active resin with R-Na Resin with R2Ca 37
Engineering breakthrough point:
To ensure a water quality required, ion exchanger must be regenerated
before theoretical breakthrough point
Ce
Ce=Ci
Ce=C Ca V
Vbt at which resin bed should be regenerated
38 Monitoring of the Performance of Ion Exchanger
1. Why needs to monitor the performance?
The ion exchange process is reversible
If too much solution is passed through the ion exchanger
The capacity of the resin has been exceeded
The exchange may reverse
Ions previously removed will be returned to the solution at the effluent
39 Remark:
It is necessary to
periodically monitor the performance of the ion exchanger
and
either replace or regenerate the resin when indicated
40 2. How to monitor the performance?
Ion exchanger performance is measured by comparing
•. solution concentration or •. conductivity or •. radioactivity at the influent and effluent
The parameter measured depends upon the purpose of ion exchanger
•. Removal of heavy metals → Solution concentration
•. Desalination → Conductivity •. Removal of radioactive ions → Radioactivity 41 Regeneration of a resin 1. General rule:
When?
When the allowable effluent concentration is reached, the
resin must be regenerated
42 How?
●. Cation resin is regenerated by acid
●. Anion resin is regenerated by base
43 2. Regeneration Chemistry
For Ca removal: 2R-Na + Ca2+ → R2Ca + 2Na+
For a cation system
Spent resin is converted first to the hydrogen form, R-H
Question: Why cation resin can be regenerated by acid?
45 Basic regeneration steps:
The column is backwashed to remove suspended solids
The resin bed is brought in contact with the regenerant
solution l i
A slow and fast water rinse remove any residual regenerant
The column is returned to service
46 Inf
Solids Acid elutes NaCl elutes Slow/fast water rinse
Saturated Exchangeable
Backwash Eluate Eluate Residuals
Eff
Saturated resin → R-H R-H → R-Na
47 Fixed-Bed Ion Exchanger Almost all ion exchangers are designed as a fixed-bed system
Supporting layer 48 Remco Engineering 49 Main applications of ion exchange technology
●. Water softening for Ca2+ and Mg2+ removal
50 ●. Demineralization or desalination of water
To remove cation and anion
51 Some configurations of ion exchanger
Configuration 1: To remove purely anions or cations of interest
Raw water Raw water
anion cation
Retention elements or other suitable devices in the bottom have
openings smaller than the diameter of the resin beads 52 Configuration 2: To remove mixed anions and cations
Option-1: Separate Two-stage ion exchanger
Raw water
cation anion
Deionized water
53 Option-2: Layered-bed ion exchanger
cation anion
anion cation
Question: Th These ttwo llayered d iion exchangers, h which hi h one iis reasonable bl 54 anion Packed density: cation > anion cation
•. The specific volume ratio of cation to anion depending on their
specific gravities
•. The ratio is normally 2 parts cation resin to 3 parts anion resin
55 Option-3: Mixed-bed ion exchanger The resin itself is a uniform mixture of cation and anion resins
cation
anion
Question: Which flow pattern is a reasonable and why? 56 Preferred flow pattern:
If the flow was reversed: bottom to top !
The lighter anion resin would gradually rise up to
th top the t
Stratification process
resulting in a layer of anion resin on top of
the cation resin
57 Mixed-bed ion exchanger over layered-bed ion exchanger
For fixed amounts of anion and cation resins, the efficiency
f removall off impurities for i iti isi greater t ini a mixed-bed i d b d than th a layered arrangement
WHY?
58 Main reason:
For layered resins there may be large pH gradients within
the column of resin
Why this hinders ion exchange?
59 Be aware that
Ion exchanger g can not function as a filter
The resin column will filter some undissolved material,
but the efficiency for filtration is significantly less than that
for removal by ion exchange.
60 Cost of commercially y available resins for reference
R i Resin C t (US$/ft3) Cost Strong acid cation 70-120 W k acid Weak id cation ti 150 200 150-200 Strong base anion 180-250 W kb Weak base anion i 180 200 180-200 Chelating cation 330-600
61 Design consideration of ion exchange process
● To select a proper resin for specific use: selectivity coefficient
● To determine exchange capacity
● To determine mass and volume of resin required
● To determine the numbers of exchangers: even numbers
● To select regenerant
● To design the configuration of ion exchanger:
column-type fixed bed in water supply industry
● Pipeline and valves arrangement
62 The resin column must:
→ contain and support the ion exchange resin
→ uniformly distribute the service and regeneration
flow through g the resin bed
→ provide space to fluidize the resin during backwash
→ include the piping, valves, and instruments needed
to regulate • flow fl off feed f d • regenerant and backwash solutions
