Water Innovations, Inc. specializes in Best-in-Class ion exchange water recycling systems for deionized water & highly-automated wastewater treatment equipment

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Methods of Purification by Water Innovations, Inc.

By Water Innovations Admin

Carbon Filtration is used for several reasons. Its primary purpose is the reduction of chlorine to less than 0.1 ppm. Chorine can damage softener resins, reverse osmosis membranes, and mixed bed deionization resins. Activated carbon will also help control tastes and odors, provide organic and hazardous organic chemical reduction, and some particulate reduction. Activated carbon works through as an adsorption medium. When the carbon has been saturated with contaminants, it will need to be replaced with new carbon.

Filtration is the method of removing sediment particles from water by passing through various media. Media can be sand, Macrloite, filterAg, carbon, ceramic, paper, spun wound fibers, and fabric. There is a multitude of other filtration media available. Filtration effectiveness usually ranges between 100 microns to 0.1 microns depending on media and method selected.

Softening is the method of removing magnesium and calcium salts from water using an ion exchange process. As water passes through a column of selective cation resin, magnesium and calcium ions are removed and exchanged for a chemically equivalent amount of sodium ions. The cation resin is regenerated with sodium chlorides. Water Innovations (WI) applications utilize Kinetico’s unique non-electric valve. This valve incorporates an automatic, demand-initiated regeneration technology and duplex media tanks ensuring an uninterrupted supply of treated water.

Reverse Osmosis (RO) was the first crossflow membrane separation process to be widely commercialized. RO removes virtually all organic compounds and 90 to 99 percent of all ions. A large selection of reverse osmosis membranes is available to meet varying rejection requirements. RO can meet most water standards with a single-pass system and higher standards with a double-pass system. RO rejects 99.9 percent of viruses, bacteria, and pyrogens. Pressure, on the order of 200 to 1,000 psig (13.8 to 68.9 bar), is the driving force of the RO purification process.

Deionization is a method used for the removal of all ionized organic and inorganic minerals and salts from water, using a two-phase ion exchange procedure. First, the positively charged ions are removed by cation exchange resin in exchange for a chemically equivalent amount of hydrogen ions. Second, negatively charged ions are removed by anion exchange for a chemically equivalent amount of hydroxide ions. The hydrogen and hydroxide ions introduced in this process unite to form deionized water molecules (this process may also be termed demineralization).WI offers a wide variety of deionization systems to meet your needs from 5 gpm to 135 gpm.

Ultraviolet Disinfection is the utilization of ultraviolet wavelengths to sterilize water. Ultraviolet disinfection requires water that is virtually free of sediment and calcium or magnesium salts.

Distillation is the process by which a liquid, such as water; is converted into a vapor state by heating; then the vapor is cooled and condensed to the liquid state and collected. Distillation is used to remove dissolved solids and other impurities from water. Multiple distillations are required to produce the mineral free quality water that is routinely produced from a deionization process.

Deionization vs. Distillation

 Deionization and distillation compete in many areas of application. They compete with each other on the basis of quality, convenience, and cost. Distillation removes the water from the minerals. Deionization removes the minerals from the water. Distillation kills organic matter by means of heat used in the distillation process. Deionization removes organic matter by means of filtration, carbon filtration, ultraviolet light, or some type of membrane filtration.

A single distillation process, such as the type normally used in producing bottled water, will produce a water quality of approximately 350,000 ohms. Triple distilled water in glass measures approximately 1,000,000 ohms. A mixed bed deionization system will produce water that measures in excess of 15,000,000 ohms. The total dissolved solid content of this water will measure approximately .03 to .04 parts per million of water. Distilled water can measure as high as 20 parts per million.

The last question to be addressed is sterilization by distillation. Sterilization is a process by which living organisms are destroyed. Sterilization is achieved in distilled water by use of the heat used in the distillation process. Deionized water is sterilized by use of an ultraviolet light. The ultraviolet light is used to kill living organisms that escape the chlorine used in the feed water. This does not mean either of these waters is considered sterile. In order to produce sterile water either of these waters must be exposed to some additional form of sterilization such as autoclaving the product.

Water Innovations offers several water treatment technologies, unique in the industry, for virtually any water quality concern.

At Water Innovations, Inc. we engineer solutions for wastewater treatment, closed loop water recycling and purification.  We utilize ion exchange to produce the highest quality water with the lowest waste volume. Our Best-In-Class ion exchange systems utilize Smart Regeneration Control (SRC) delivering precise regeneration chemistry feeds, controlled regeneration rinse volume and grain set-point automatic adjustment. Click to learn more…

Water Innovations can be reached at sales@waterinnovations.net  or by telephone at 760.466.7583

Filed Under: Water Systems Tagged With: Carbon Filtration, Deionization, Deionization vs. Distillation, deionized water, demineralization of water, DI water, DI water systems, Distillation, Filtration, Ion Exchange, Ion Exchange Systems, Macrloite, Reverse Osmosis, RO, Softening, Ultraviolet Disinfection, Water Deionizer, Water demineralization, Water Softening

WDI – Industrial Water Deionizer

By Water Innovations Admin

The ion exchange system produces (DI) deionized water at a 90% lower cost than service exchange with regeneration of its duplex alternating cation and anion exchange… Learn More

At Water Innovations, Inc. we engineer solutions for wastewater treatment, closed loop water recycling and purification.  We utilize ion exchange to produce the highest quality water with the lowest waste volume. Our Best-In-Class ion exchange systems utilize Smart Regeneration Control (SRC) delivering precise regeneration chemistry feeds, controlled regeneration rinse volume and grain set-point automatic adjustment. Click on the video to learn more…

Water Innovations can be reached at sales@waterinnovations.net  or by telephone at 760.466.7583

Filed Under: Water Systems Tagged With: Deionization, deionized water, demineralization of water, DI water, DI water systems, Evoquoa, High quality water, Industrial Water Deionizer, Ion Exchange, Ion Exchange Systems, SDI water, Service Exchange DI, Water Deionizer, Water demineralization

Ion Exchange Systems – Industrial Water Recycling

By Water Innovations Admin


At Water Innovations, Inc. we engineer solutions for wastewater treatment, closed loop water recycling and purification.  We utilize ion exchange to produce the highest quality water with the lowest waste volume. Our Best-In-Class ion exchange systems utilize Smart Regeneration Control (SRC) delivering precise regeneration chemistry feeds, controlled regeneration rinse volume and grain set-point automatic adjustment. Click on the video to learn more…

Water Innovations can be reached at sales@waterinnovations.net  or by telephone at 760.466.7583

Filed Under: Water Systems Tagged With: Basic Principles of Ion Exchange, deionized water, Industrial Water Recycling, Ion Exchange, Ion Exchange Process, ion exchange rinse water recycling, Ion Exchange Systems, Ion exchange Water Recycling, Ion exchange Water Recycling Treatment, Rinse water recycling, Rinsewater Recycling, Wastewater treatment, Water Deionizer

Ion Exchange Systems – Theory of Technology

By Water Innovations Admin

Theory of Technology

Basic Principles of Ion Exchange

Ion exchange refers to a process where different ions in solution are exchanged, or replaced, by other ions.  An ion exchange media, or resin, is used to accomplish this.

Ion exchange resin is an insoluble, porous, polymer bead.  The beads have a very high molecular weight and carry a functional group with either positive (+) or negative (-) charge, known as exchange sites.  Negatively charged resin is called cation resin and attracts positive ions, or cations.  Positively charged resin is called anion resin and attracts negative ions, or anions.  They can be further classified as weak and strong acid cation resins and weak and strong base anion resins.  The porosity of the bead allows water to flow through the bead, increasing the amount of contact with the exchange sites.

Complete Ion Exchange System_Left Side_CIX1000S
Complete Ion Exchange System_Left Side_CIX10S

The strength and characteristics of the exchange sites, along with the characteristics of the ions, determine a resin’s affinity for certain ions.  For example, ions with multiple charges, (e.g. Ca++) have a stronger attraction to the resin than ions with single charges.  Ions of equal charge are selected by the resin based on molecular weight.  Heavier ions are selected first.  A resin’s selectivity is also based on an equilibrium principle.  Basic water softening theory originated from this principle.  In general, calcium has a +2 charge, while sodium has a +1 charge.  A cation exchange resin has a higher affinity for calcium over sodium in a weak solution, such as tap water.  However, in a concentrated sodium chloride brine solution, the selectivity reverses.  Thus, cation exchange resin in a water softener is rinsed with a brine solution to remove the calcium from the resin bed.  This is known as regeneration.

The ion exchange process is used to soften water, deionize water, scavenge metals, and recycle waste water (another form of deionization).  All of these processes are accomplished utilizing the above methods.

When designing an ion exchange system, the characteristics of the influent stream need to be examined.  Based on this data, a determination is made as to the most beneficial type of ion exchange treatment.  The following explains these parameters.

The total dissolved solids (TDS) of the inlet water provides the total quantity of contaminants in the water and is reported as parts per million (ppm) or mg/l.  The higher level of TDS, the more often the system will regenerate.  Levels above 750 mg/l TDS should not be treated with ion exchange.  Often times the TDS of the water is equated with the conductivity.  Due to different conductive characteristics of different ions, that is not always accurate.  For example, a stream with no contaminants other than silica will be very low in conductivity, yet may have very high TDS.  While there are charts and equations that correlate TDS with conductance, it is best to initially analyze specifically for TDS and individual ions.

The total suspended solids (TSS) is the quantity of solids in the water that can be removed by filtration.  These solids are not dissolved in the water and will not be removed by ion exchange resin.  High concentrations of TSS require additional filtration.  Levels should not be above 5 mg/l entering the ion exchanger, or the chance for suspended solids fouling greatly increases.

The level of suspended oils and greases coming into an ion exchange bed should not be above 0.1 mg/l.  Higher levels will cause a fouling of the ion exchange resin, which would prevent it from operating properly. The inlet temperature of the water should not exceed 100oF.  If the temperature does exceed this level, special design considerations are required.  A temperature of 140oF can be deionized with special resins; however, expected resin life at this temperature is not more than two years. The level of organics can greatly affect the structure and ability of ion exchange resins.  This is also true for free chlorine.  When levels of chlorine or organics exceed 1 mg/l, additional treatment through carbon or other absorbent material is recommended.  Both the maximum and average values for each of these parameters should be taken into account.  While the maximum averages may be well within specifications, peak levels may drastically affect the deionization process.

Prefiltration of the water is almost always a must.  Solids, which are in the water, if not removed, will plug any ion exchange column.  This is especially true in the packed-bed designs of high purity systems.  Adequate filtration for deionization applications is less than 5 micron filtration, usually through replaceable bags or cartridges.  Particles smaller than this size are usually passed through the resin bed, causing it no harm.

This first step of the actual deionization process uses cation resins to remove positively charged ions from the water.  Using the “opposites attract” rule, the negatively charged cation resin binds and removes positively charged molecules from the water.  These constituents include sodium, calcium, magnesium, iron, and other metals.  As these positively charged molecules are removed, hydrogen ions are released from the resin.  This is the element which is exchanged off the cation resin in the deionization process.

Following the cation exchange process, the negatively charged molecules in the water are removed by the anion exchange process.  Typical anion molecules present in water include chlorides, sulfates, nitrates, carbon dioxide, and silica.  As the resin removes these molecules, an hydroxide ion (OH) is released.  It is important that the cation exchanger be functioning properly and located before the anion.  Should multivalent cations come into contact with the anion resin, they will usually precipitate within the resin bed and foul it.  This is the most common type of fouling which can occur, and especially common with calcium.  The H+ ions from the cation exchanger and the OH– ions from the anion exchanger immediately recombine to form water.

Complete Ion Exchange System_right Side_CIX1000S_3DA polishing unit, either a cation or a mixed bed (a combination of both cation and anion resin) can be used following the cation/anion process.  Without any polishing, the minimum quality of water that can be produced is between 50,000 ohm/cm (50 K) and 1,000,000 ohm/cm (1 meg).  With the polishing unit, the quality can be raised all the way to 18,300,000 ohm/cm.  This quality is achieved by the use of a mixed bed polisher.  A cation polisher will raise the quality to above 5,000,000 ohm/cm (5 meg).  When any of the resins used in the deionization process become exhausted, or have exchanged off all of their respective ions, the resins must be regenerated.

Cation resins use acids to regenerate (25-50% strength).  Hydrochloric is the preferred and easiest acid to use.  While other acids may be used, special regeneration techniques are required. Anion resins use sodium hydroxide (caustic) for their regeneration.  The regeneration process can either be co-current flow or countercurrent.  This means in the same direction as the process flow, or in the opposite direction.  A countercurrent system will maximize the chemical’s ability to regenerate the resin and minimize the volume of waste.

The solution produced from this regeneration sequence will contain the same constituents as the incoming water, however, they will be concentrated and in a strong acid or caustic background. By combining the regeneration from the cations and anions, a partial neutralization can be made.  However, the pH range can vary greatly in this type of mixture.  It is usually necessary to send this solution to a neutralization system prior to its being discharged.

Water Innovations can be reached at sales@waterinnovations.net  or by telephone at 760.466.7583

Filed Under: Basic of Tagged With: Basic Principles of Ion Exchange, deionized water, Ion Exchange, Ion Exchange Process, ion exchange recycling, ion exchange rinse water recycling, Ion Exchange Systems, Rinse water recycling, Wastewater treatment

Ion Exchange Systems- Estimated Operating Cost

By Water Innovations Admin

Ion Exchange Systems

This calculation is “fully-burdened” including ongoing operating costs and routine & long-term service requirements. While calculated for a 10 gpm CIX10S, it can be generally applied to all CIX systems. Based upon known CIX operating parameters and typical water & chemical costs, with 24-hour operation 26 days per month at 10 gpm flow with feed water @ 200-ppm TDS.

Labor: Assumed $12 per hour wage and a routine daily operating requirement of 1.5 hour – $468 per month

Electricity:  Assumed 460V 3Ph power @ $0.10 per KWH to operate feed & DI Water pumps – $35 per month

Bag Filters: Assumed 2X per week change out of 20-inch 5 micron filters @ $5 each – $40 per month.

Resin Replacement: Conservatively-assumed every 4 years of 5-ft3 cation @ $100/ft3 & anion @ $250/ft3, 1 man-day labor at $150, waste disposal of 2.5 drums @ $150 each; for $2,350 total or $49 per month.

Carbon Replacement: Once per year including 3-ft3 @ $250 & ½ man-day at $75 for $255 total or $27 per month.

Regeneration chemistry: Assumed 2 cation regens per day using 9.8-gal 32% HCl @ $2/gal or $19.60/Day & 3 anion regens per day using 5.1 gal 50% NaOH @ $3/gal or $15.30/day for $39.20/day or $1,019 per month

Wastewater: Assumed 1 carbon backwash/week producing 80-gallons or a total of 320-gallons per month, 3 cation regenerations per day producing 255-gallons or a total of 6,630-gallons per month, and 3 anion regenerations per day producing 285-gallons or a total of 7,410-gallons per month with a combined water/sewer cost of $6/1,000-gallons and treatment costs of $9/1,000-gallons, for a combined cost of $215 per month.

Total Operating Cost: Total estimated operating cost as detailed per above is $1,853 per month.

DI Water Cost: At 10-gpm service 24 hours-per-day/26 days-per-month, 374,400 gallons of rinsewaters would be processed each month with 14,360 gallons lost to backwash & regeneration for a total volume of DI water produced of 359,640. $1,853/359,640=$0.00515 or $5.15 per 1,000 gallons of DI water produced.

Comparison with Alternatives: While every facility is different, the assumed combined cost for wastewater treatment and water/sewer is $15 per 1,000 gallons or nearly 3X rinsewater recycling by ion exchange so for 374,400 gallons per day, the expense for conventional treatment is $5,616 per month. The expense for DI Water from Service DI is typically $50 or more per 1,000-gallons or 10X or more than on-site regenerable ion exchange for a relative monthly expense for SDI of $18,700. Another alternative is Reverse Osmosis (RO) followed by Service DI with an operating cost somewhat less than recycling by ion exchange although “back-end” RO is problematic because of the potential for membrane fouling which greatly increases its need for membrane replacement and overall operating cost.

This calculation was performed by Steven A. Ward, Vice President of Sales for Water Innovations which engineers and markets ion exchange water recycling systems.  Steven earned an MPH degree, completed his thesis examining the economics of wastewater treatment in the printed circuit board industry.  For more information please contact Sales@waterinnovations.net  or by telephone at 760.294.1888 to discuss how this estimate may differ from other applications.

Filed Under: Basic of Tagged With: Industrial waste water, Ion Exchange Systems, Ion exchange Water Recycling, Ion exchange Water Treatment, recycling by ion exchange, Reverse Osmosis, Rinse water recycling, water recycling systems

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