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Since the early 1900s, ion exchange resins have been used in
separation applications ranging from soluble material recovery to the
purification of process or wastewater streams. It wasn't until the
mid-1980s, however, that their full potential was realized through the
development of a truly continuous process system — ISEP®.
Calgon Carbon Corporation's Engineered Solutions commercialized that
system, later expanding its application capabilities by developing
CSEP®.
Although continuous ion exchange and continuous chromatographic
separations can be accomplished with essentially the same piece of
equipment, the chemical processes are entirely different.
- Ion exchange is a reversible chemical reaction in which one type
of ion (electrically charged atoms or molecules) is exchanged for
another. During the process, a solution containing the ionic materials
to be separated is exposed to an insoluble solid. When contact is
made, an exchange of ions takes place.
- Chromatographic separation, while also an ion-based process, is
not an exchange. Chromatography is a method for separating components
of mixtures down to the molecular level. In a simplified example, a
mixture of materials to be separated is dissolved in a liquid and
passed through a vertical column filled with a solid
sorbent. Depending on the degree of attraction and the sorbent,
molecules travel at different rates, leading to a physical
separation. When the liquid carrier is extracted at designated exit
points, targeted molecules are readily captured.
Visit the Ion Exchange and Chromatography web site for more information about our products and services.
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