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IonexchangeresinWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

Ionexchangeresin
FromWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

Anionexchangeresinorionexchangepolymerisaninsoluble
matrix(orsupportstructure)normallyintheformofsmall(0.5
1mmdiameter)beads,usuallywhiteoryellowish,fabricatedfrom
anorganicpolymersubstrate.Thebeadsaretypicallyporous,
providingahighsurfacearea.Thetrappingofionsoccurswith
concomitantreleasingofotherionsthustheprocessiscalledion
exchange.Therearemultipletypesofionexchangeresin.Most
commercialresinsaremadeofpolystyrenesulfonate.[1]

Ionexchangeresinbeads

Ionexchangeresinsarewidelyusedindifferentseparation,
purification,anddecontaminationprocesses.Themostcommon
examplesarewatersofteningandwaterpurification.Inmanycases
ionexchangeresinswereintroducedinsuchprocessesasamore
flexiblealternativetotheuseofnaturalorartificialzeolites.Also,
ionexchangeresinsarehighlyeffectiveinthebiodieselfiltration
process.

Contents
1Typesofresins
1.1AnionResins
2Uses
2.1Watersoftening
2.2Waterpurification
2.3Productionofhighpuritywater
2.4Ionexchangeinmetalseparation
2.5Catalysis
2.6Juicepurification

Ionexchangeresinbeads

2.7Sugarmanufacturing
2.8Pharmaceuticals
3Notes
4Additionalreading

Typesofresins

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Mosttypicalionexchangeresinsarebasedoncrosslinkedpolystyrene.Theactualionexchangingsitesare
introducedafterpolymerisation.Additionally,inthecaseofpolystyrene,crosslinkingisintroducedvia
copolymerisationofstyreneandafewpercentofdivinylbenzene(noncrosslinkedpolymersaresolublein
water).Crosslinkingdecreasesionexchangecapacityoftheresinandprolongsthetimeneededto
accomplishtheionexchangeprocessesbutimprovestherobustnessoftheresin.Particlesizealso
influencestheresinparameterssmallerparticleshavelargeroutersurface,butcauselargerheadlossinthe
columnprocesses.[2]
Besidesbeingmadeasbeadshapedmaterials,ionexchangeresinsareproducedasmembranes.The
membranes,whicharemadeofhighlycrosslinkedionexchangeresinsthatallowpassageofions,butnot
ofwater,areusedforelectrodialysis.
Fourmaintypesofionexchangeresinsdifferintheirfunctionalgroups:
stronglyacidic,typicallyfeaturingsulfonicacidgroups,e.g.sodiumpolystyrenesulfonateor
polyAMPS.
stronglybasic,typicallyfeaturingquaternaryaminogroups,forexample,trimethylammonium
groups,e.g.polyAPTAC)
weaklyacidic,typicallyfeaturingcarboxylicacidgroups.
weaklybasic,typicallyfeaturingprimary,secondary,and/orternaryaminogroups,e.g.polyethylene
amine.
Specialisedionexchangeresinsarealsoknownsuchaschelatingresins(iminodiaceticacid,thioureabased
resins,andmanyothers.)
Anionresinsandcationresinsarethetwomostcommonresinsusedintheionexchangeprocess.While
anionresinsattractnegativelychargedions,cationresinsattractpositivelychargedions.

AnionResins
Anionresinsmaybeeitherstronglyorweaklybasic.Stronglybaseanionresinscanmaintaintheirpositive
chargeacrossawidepHrange,whereasweaklybaseanionresinsathighpH.[3]Weaklybasicresinsdonot
maintaintheirchargeatahighpHbecausetheyundergodeprotonation.[3]Theydo,however,offerexcellent
mechanicalandchemicalstability.This,combinedwithahighrateofionexchange,makeweaklybase
anionresinswellsuitedfortheorganicsalts.
Foranionresins,regenerationtypicallyinvolvestreatmentoftheresinwithastronglybasicsolution,e.g.
aqueoussodiumhydroxide.Duringregeneration,theregenerantchemicalispassedthroughtheresinand
trappednegativeionsareflushedout,renewingtheresinsexchangecapacity.[4]

Uses
Watersoftening

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Inthisapplication,ionexchangeresinsareusedtoreplacethemagnesiumandcalciumionsfoundinhard
waterwithsodiumions.Whentheresinisfresh,itcontainssodiumionsatitsactivesites.Whenincontact
withasolutioncontainingmagnesiumandcalciumions(butalowconcentrationofsodiumions),the
magnesiumandcalciumionspreferentiallymigrateoutofsolutiontotheactivesitesontheresin,being
replacedinsolutionbysodiumions.Thisprocessreachesequilibriumwithamuchlowerconcentrationof
magnesiumandcalciumionsinsolutionthanwasstartedwith.
Theresincanberechargedby
washingitwithasolution
containingahighconcentration
ofsodiumions(e.g.ithaslarge
amountsofcommonsalt(NaCl)
dissolvedinit).Thecalciumand
magnesiumionsmigrateoffthe
resin,beingreplacedbysodium
ionsfromthesolutionuntilanew
equilibriumisreached.Thesalt
isusedtorechargeanion
exchangeresinwhichitselfis
usedtosoftenthewater.

Waterpurification

Idealisedimageofwatersofteningprocess,involvingreplacementofcalcium
ionsinwaterwithsodiumionsdonatedbyacationexchangeresin.

Inthisapplication,ionexchangeresinsareusedtoremovepoisonous(e.g.copper)andheavymetal(e.g.
leadorcadmium)ionsfromsolution,replacingthemwithmoreinnocuousions,suchassodiumand
potassium.
Fewionexchangeresinsremovechlorineororganiccontaminantsfromwaterthisisusuallydoneby
usinganactivatedcharcoalfiltermixedinwiththeresin.Therearesomeionexchangeresinsthatdo
removeorganicions,suchasMIEX(magneticionexchange)resins.Domesticwaterpurificationresinis
notusuallyrechargedtheresinisdiscardedwhenitcannolongerbeused.

Productionofhighpuritywater
Waterofhighestpurityisrequiredforelectronics,scientificexperiments,productionofsuperconductors,
andnuclearindustry,amongothers.Suchwaterisproducedusingionexchangeprocessesorcombinations
ofmembraneandionexchangemethods.Cationsarereplacedwithhydrogenionsusingcationexchange
resinsanionsarereplacedwithhydroxylsusinganionexchangeresins.Thehydrogenionsandhydroxyls
recombineproducingwatermolecules.Thus,noionsremainintheproducedwater.Thepurification
processisusuallyperformedinseveralstepswith"mixedbedionexchangecolumns"attheendofthe
technologicalchain.

Ionexchangeinmetalseparation
Ionexchangeprocessesareusedtoseparateandpurifymetals,includingseparatinguraniumfrom
plutoniumandotheractinides,includingthoriumandlanthanum,neodymium,ytterbium,samarium,
lutetium,fromeachotherandtheotherlanthanides.Therearetwoseriesofrareearthmetals,the
lanthanidesandtheactinides.Membersofeachfamilyhaveverysimilarchemicalandphysicalproperties.
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Ionexchangewasformanyyearstheonlypracticalwaytoseparatetherareearthsinlargequantities.This
applicationwasdevelopedinthe1940sbyFrankSpedding.Subsequently,solventextractionhasmostly
supplanteduseofionexchangeresinsexceptforthehighestpurityproducts.
AveryimportantcaseisthePUREXprocess(plutonium
uraniumextractionprocess)whichisusedtoseparatethe
plutoniumandtheuraniumfromthespentfuelproductsfroma
nuclearreactor,andtobeabletodisposeofthewasteproducts.
Then,theplutoniumanduraniumareavailableformaking
nuclearenergymaterials,suchasnewreactorfuelandnuclear
weapons.
IonexchangebeadsarealsoanessentialcomponentinInsitu
leachuraniummining.Insiturecoveryinvolvestheextraction
ofuraniumbearingwater(gradingaslowas.05%U3O8)
throughboreholes.Theextracteduraniumsolutionisthen
Adrumofyellowcake
filteredthroughtheresinbeads.Throughanionexchange
process,theresinbeadsattracturaniumfromthesolution.
Uraniumloadedresinsarethentransportedtoaprocessingplant,whereU3O8isseparatedfromtheresin
beadsandyellowcakeisproduced.Theresinbeadscanthenbereturnedtotheionexchangefacilitywhere
theyarereused.
Theionexchangeprocessisalsousedtoseparateothersetsofverysimilarchemicalelements,suchas
zirconiumandhafnium,whichincidentallyisalsoveryimportantforthenuclearindustry.Zirconiumis
practicallytransparenttofreeneutrons,usedinbuildingreactors,buthafniumisaverystrongabsorberof
neutrons,usedinreactorcontrolrods.

Catalysis
Inchemistryionexchangeresinsintheacidformareknowntocatalyzeorganicreactions.Seeforinstance
selfcondensation.

Juicepurification
Ionexchangeresinsareusedinthemanufactureoffruitjuicessuchasorangeandcranberryjuicewhere
theyareusedtoremovebittertastingcomponentsandsoimprovetheflavor.Thisallowstartorpoorer
tastingfruitsourcestobeusedforjuiceproduction.

Sugarmanufacturing
Ionexchangeresinsareusedinthemanufacturingofsugarfromvarioussources.Theyareusedtohelp
convertonetypeofsugarintoanothertypeofsugar,andtodecolorizeandpurifysugarsyrups.

Pharmaceuticals

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Ionexchangeresinsareusedinthemanufacturingofpharmaceuticals,notonlyforcatalyzingcertain
reactionsbutalsoforisolatingandpurifyingpharmaceuticalactiveingredients.Threeionexchangeresins,
sodiumpolystyrenesulfonate,colestipol,andcholestyramine,areusedasactiveingredients.Sodium
polystyrenesulfonateisastronglyacidicionexchangeresinandisusedtotreathyperkalemia.Colestipolis
aweaklybasicionexchangeresinandisusedtotreathypercholesterolemia.Cholestyramineisastrongly
basicionexchangeresinandisalsousedtotreathypercholesterolemia.Colestipolandcholestyramineare
knownasbileacidsequestrants.
Ionexchangeresinsarealsousedasexcipientsinpharmaceuticalformulationssuchastablets,capsules,
gums,andsuspensions.Intheseusestheionexchangeresincanhaveseveraldifferentfunctions,including
tastemasking,extendedrelease,tabletdisintegration,increasedbioavailability,andimprovingthechemical
stabilityoftheactiveingredients.

Notes
1. ^FranoisDardelandThomasV.Arden"IonExchangers"inUllmann'sEncyclopediaofIndustrialChemistry,
2008,WileyVCH,Weinheim.doi:10.1002/14356007.a14_393.pub2
(http://dx.doi.org/10.1002%2F14356007.a14_393.pub2)
2. ^IUPAC"stronglydiscourages"theuseoftheterm'ionexchangeresin'torefertoanionexchangepolymer,but
theusageremainscommon:InternationalUnionofPureandAppliedChemistry(2004),"DefinitionsofTerms
RelatingtoReactionsofPolymersandtoFunctionalPolymericMaterials(IUPACRecommendations2003)"
(http://media.iupac.org/publications/pac/2004/pdf/7604x0889.pdf),PureAppl.Chem.76(4):889906,
doi:10.1351/pac200476040889(http://dx.doi.org/10.1351%2Fpac200476040889)
3. ^abGrell,Laura."Proteomics/ProteinSeparationsChromatography/Ionexchange"
(https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Proteomics/Protein_Separations_
_Chromatography/Ion_exchange#Anion_Exchangers).RetrievedOctober2013.
4. ^"IonExchange"(http://www.waterprofessionals.com/processwater/ion_exchange.html).WaterProfessionals.
Retrieved2014.

Additionalreading
"IonExchangeChemistryandOperation"(http://www.remco.com/ix.htm).RemcoEngineering.
Retrieved20140516.
FriedrichG.Helfferich(1962).IonExchange(http://books.google.com/books?
id=F9OQMEA88CAC).CourierDoverPublications.ISBN9780486687841.
IonExchangers(K.Dorfner,ed.),WalterdeGruyter,Berlin,1991.
C.E.Harland,Ionexchange:TheoryandPractice,TheRoyalSocietyofChemistry,Cambridge,
1994.
Ionexchange(D.Muraviev,V.Gorshkov,A.Warshawsky),M.Dekker,NewYork,2000.
A.A.Zagorodni,IonExchangeMaterials:PropertiesandApplications,Elsevier,Amsterdam,2006.
(http://www.ionexchange.books.kth.se)
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