Ion Exchange

Ion exchange can be used in a variety of applications to remove specific ions from a water source or remove all the dissolved minerals and salts. Ion exchange resins work by exchanging dissolved minerals for other ions in a reversible reaction. In the case of a water softener, calcium and magnesium are exchanged for sodium ions but none of the anions are removed. In a demineralisation plant all the cations are changed for hydrogen and all the anions for hydroxyl ions.