In this system, hard water is converted into soft water. Thus the calcium and magnesium ions responsible for the hardness in the water are replaced by the less harmful and acceptable sodium ion thereby making the water soft. As there is an exchange of cations with a preference for the sodium ion, a cation exchange resin in the sodium form is used in the process. The conventional resin employed for the softening process is the strong acid cation (SAC) resin the sodium form. Although there is a reduction in the hardness of water, there is an equivalent increase in the sodium. Thus the total ions in water remain unaltered.
In this system, hard water is converted into soft water. Thus the calcium and magnesium ions responsible for the hardness in the water are replaced by the less harmful and acceptable sodium ion thereby making the water soft. As there is an exchange of cations with a preference for the sodium ion, a cation exchange resin in the sodium form is used in the process. The conventional resin employed for the softening process is the strong acid cation (SAC) resin the sodium form. Although there is a reduction in the hardness of water, there is an equivalent increase in the sodium. Thus the total ions in water remain unaltered.
When a semipermeable membrane separates two aqueous solutions of different concentrations, solvent travels from the dilute solution to the concentrated solution. This natural phenomenon is called OSMOSIS, which continues until equilibrium between the two solutions is reached. The flow of solvent can be reversed by applying external pressure to the concentrated solution. This reversal of solvent flow is known as REVERSE OSMOSIS. The principle is widely applied to produce fresh water from brackish and even sea water to produce specific treated water quality for various applications. Membrane technology is advancing most rapidly than any other separation methods and its versatility offers the greatest potential for solving water management and liquid separation problems with most reliable and economical solution.