Electro-assisted regeneration of ion exchange resins

Electro-assisted regeneration (EAR) for the mixed bed of strongly acidic cation- and weakly basic anion-exchange resins with the AI(OH)3 suspension as regenerant in a three-compartment cell was investigated. The experimental results showed that the effect of resins regeneration was strictly dependent of the applied voltage, the operation time and the feed regenerant flow rate. Tap water was treated by the regenerated mixed resins by EAR. The amount of the effluent was reached 50 times volume of the resins bed, and the conductivity was less than 1.0 mu s/cm. Compared to the conventional electro-regeneration (ER), the amount of the effluent with EAR was 1,000mL larger than that by ER under the same conditions which were the applied voltage of 60 V, the operation time of 4 h and the feed flow rate of 0.2 mL/s. Moreover, the outlet conductivity was significantly lower than that by ER. EAR overcame the ER shortage of the low regeneration efficiency.