SEPARATION PROCESSES

(CCB
SEPARATION 2063)II
PROCESS

ION EXCHANGE
Dr Taslima Khanam
29th July, 2015
 TOPIC OUTCOMES

By the end of this topic, students should be able to

 differentiate Ion Exchange & Adsorption
 comprehend concept & mechanism
 comprehend Equilibrium Relations
 calculate Exchange Capacity
 usage of selectivity constant
Today’s lesson:
 differentiate Ion Exchange & Adsorption
 comprehend concept & mechanism
 comprehend Equilibrium Relations
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 ION EXCHANGE-DEFINITION

A reversible chemical reaction where an ion

from an aqueous phase is exchanged for a
similarly charged ion attached to an
immobile solid phase (resin)
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 Ion Exchange: Cation exchange

Pore Aqueous-
space phase ions to
be exchanged
B+ X- A+ X-
B+ X- A+ X-
A+ B+ X- B+ A+ X-
- - - -
A+ - A+ - A+ Resin B+ - B+ - B+
A+ - phase ion B+ -
- -
A+ B+ X- B+ A+ X-
A+ - A+ B+ - B+
- -
B+ X- A+ X-
A+ B+
- - A+ - - B+
A+ - B+ -
B+ X- B+ X- A+ X- A+ X-

Resin Charged functional

lattice groups on resin lattice 4
 Adsorption vs Ion Exchange

 Ion Exchange is special type of adsorption

 This adsorption involve chemical reaction
 Main difference with adsorption:
 Exchange of ion
 The exchange is governed by a reversible,
stoichiometric chemical-reaction equation

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 INDUSTRIAL APPLICATIONS
-Water softening

-Recovery of antibiotics/vitamin from fermentation broth

(fermentation broth is a mixture produced after fermentation of
cells)

-High purity water production for semiconductor industries

-Wastewater:
removal of N, heavy metals &
total dissolved solids

-etc.

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 Water Softening

• Hardness in water is caused by calcium and magnesium ions, which

form insoluble compounds and is removed by ion exchange.

Ca2+ + Na2R  CaR + 2 Na+ (12.4-1)

(solution) (solid) (solid) (solution)

• The water is filtered through an artificial zeolite (ion exchange

resin), such as Permutit, and the sodium in the zeolite replaces the
undesirable ions that are in the water. (Positive charged ion in
water diffuse into zeolite)

• When the zeolite is saturated with these metallic ions, it is washed

with salt solution NaCl (regeneration), which drives the reversible
reaction above to the left.

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 ION EXCHANGE-OPERATION MODE

 Ion exchange employs same modes of operation as

adsorption
 Batch
 Resin is stirred with solution to be treated in a reactor
until the reaction is complete.
 Spent resin is removed by settling.
 Regenerated and reused.
 Continuous
 Exchanged material is placed in a bed or packed column.
 Solution to be treated is passed through it.
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 DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS

Fixed-Bed Ion-Exchange Columns

- Rate depends on

• Mass transfer ions from bulk to particle surface

• Diffusion in the pores of solid to surface

• Exchange of ions at the surface

• Diffusion of the exchange ion back to the bulk

solution
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 ION EXCHANGE RESIN
 resin = insoluble matrix / crosslinked structure
derived from organic polymer substrate
 e.g. hydrocarbon secretions of plants
 has highly developed pores with sites to trap and
release ions
 trapping and releasing occurs simultaneously
 most resins are
polymers

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 ION EXCHANGE RESIN

 Natural occurring resin

 zeolites
 amber
 Synthetic resins
 Strong-acid cation (SAC)
 Weak-acid cation (WAC)
 Strong-base anion (SBA)
 Weak-base anion (WBA)
 Heavy-metal selective
chelating resins
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 Properties of synthetic resins
Type of resin
Strong-acid cation resins (SAC)
Weak-acid cation resins (WAC)
Strong-base anion resins (SBA)
Weak-base anion resins (WBA)
Heavy-metal selective chelating
resins
Characteristics
Behave like strong acid
Highly ionised
Acid form – (R-SO3H)
Salt form – (R-SO3Na)
Have weak-acid functional group (-COOH)
Highly ionised
Have strong-base functional group (OH)
Have weak based functional group
Similarto weak-acid cation
But have a high degree of selectivity for heavy-
metal cations.
Functional group – EDTA
R-EDTA-Na 12
 SYNTHETIC ION EXCHANGE RESIN

 Made from styrene and divinylbenzene

 Important properties
 Exchange capacity
 Particle size
 Stability

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 EQUILIBRIUM RELATIONS

 Ion-exchange process for strong acid or strong base

exchangers by replacing ions in a solution with either:
 H+
 OH-
} Originally in the resin

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 Equilibrium Relations

 Ion exchange Isotherms developed using the law of mass action

Na+ + HR  NaR + H+
(solution) (solid) (solid) (solution)

[ NaR][H  ]
K
[ Na  ][HR]
Total ionic concentration of ionic groups in the resin,

R  = [NaR] + [HR] = constant

Combining two equation:

K R Na   If solution is buffered, H+

[ NaR ]   is constant; Eqn. similar
[H ]  K [ Na ] 
to langmuir isotherm
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 REGENERATION OF RESIN

 Shifting of the reversible chemical reaction equation

Cu2+ + 2HR  CuR2 + 2H+
 To regenerate the resin (HR), need to shift the
equilibrium to the left
 Done by increasing the concentration
 Regeneration using small amount of solution with
high concentration of:
 H+ for cation exchangers
 OH- for anion exchangers

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THANK YOU

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