When Should We Use an Industrial Deionizer?
Industrial deionizers are widely used across several industries. They are highly valued for processes in which minerals or ions in the water can damage equipment, cause formulation issues, or make the process less efficient. Examples of industrial deionization applications include medical labs, cooling towers, pharmaceutical development, cosmetics plants, chemical manufacturing and countless other processes with small chemical tolerances or high-value equipment.
As we describe in detail here, industrial deionizers use an ion exchange process to demineralize the water. They do so by utilizing ion exchange resins which bind with minerals in the water. Industrial deionization can produce varying grades of purified water including demineralized (deionized) water, high-purity water, and lab-grade & medical-grade water.
The fundamental type of industrial water deionizers exist. The most common is a dual or twin bed deionizer. With this system, water passes through a cation bed of resin and then through an anion bed of resin in series. Water quality is often in the 1 to 5 micro Siemen conductivity range. The second type of system is a mixed bed deionizer system that has both cation and anion resin in the same tank. This type of system produces the highest quality of water, which is over 18 million ohms resistance. Both systems use acid and caustic to regenerate the different types of resin. Lastly, electrodeionization (EDI), water purification systems yield similar water quality to a mixed bed system but uses electricity instead of chemicals to regenerate the resin.
A common question is related to the difference between industrial reverse osmosis (RO) and industrial deionization (DI) systems. As we have noted in previous Industrial Water Solutions blog posts, reverse osmosis and deionized water have similar characteristics to produce water with similar purity levels but they utilize different processes. Reverse osmosis passes water through a semi-permeable membrane. Particles larger than a water particle can’t get through the membrane. Deionization is a chemical process that binds resin to positive and negative ions. Because of their different purification methods, the best process depends on the specific use. Contact Industrial Water Solutions and we can walk you through your options to find the most cost-effective solution for your situation.
Regardless of whether you choose to purchase or lease your deionizer equipment, Industrial Water Solutions has a plan that will allow you to focus on your core business operations, reduce risk, manage costs and let the experts handle your water treatment maintenance and repairs. Contact Industrial Water Solutions to learn more about the right industrial deionizer for you, as well as our financing and build, own, operate (BOO) options.
Also learn about our mixed bed condensate polishers for high-demand applications such as boiler feed softening.
Industrial Water Solutions (IWS) services and sells a variety of industrial water systems including industrial water softeners, industrial reverse osmosis, industrial water UV systems, and other industrial water systems throughout the U.S. including Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and Illinois.
Contact us at 800-820-9021 or info@industrialh2osolutions.com for a quote or service.
