What is ion exchange resin?

Table of Contents

• What does the exchanger resin consist of?
• Are there different exchange resins?
• What happens when capacity is reached?

The exchange resin (short for ion exchange resin) is the actual reactant in the ion exchange process. The synthetic resin is located in the (usually blue) pressure tanks and absorbs the unwanted substances from the water that flows through this tank. The name exchanger resin comes from the fact that the resin not only absorbs certain substances, but also releases predefined substances back into the water in exchange. This ensures that the pH value of the water does not change.

What does the exchanger resin consist of?

The resin is basically small plastic beads that form a macroporous surface. This condition ensures the largest possible reaction surface for the water flowing through.

Are there different exchange resins?

Yes, depending on which substances are to be removed from the water, a different resin must be used. The resins differ in their reactivity with different substances. For example, the exchange resin used in softening systems specifically absorbs calcium and magnesium ions. The resins can only absorb a certain amount of substances per volume. This refers to the capacity of the resin or the system that is filled with this resin.

What happens when capacity is reached?

An ion exchange resin can be “regenerated” when its capacity is exhausted. This means that the original absorption capacity is restored, for example by rinsing it with salt water. In our ion exchange systems, this regeneration process usually takes place fully automatically, with the control valve measuring the water flow and initiating the regeneration process after a previously calculated amount of water.