Principles of Ion Exchange:

Ion exchange is a procedure used extensively within nuclear facilities to control the purity and pH of water through removing undesirable ions and replacing them along with acceptable ones.  Particularly, it is the exchange of ions among a solid substance (known as a resin) and an aqueous solution (reactor coolant or makeup water).  It's Depending on the character of the ions which a resin releases to the water; a procedure might answer in purification of water or in control of the concentration of a particular ion within a solution. An ion exchange is the reversible exchange of ions among a liquid and a solid.   This procedure is commonly used to erase undesirable ions from a liquid and substitute acceptable ions from a solid (resin).

The devices in that ion exchange occurs are generally known as demineralizers.  This name is derived from the word demineralize, that means the procedure whereby impurities present within the incoming fluid (water) are removed through exchanging impure ions along within H⁺ and OH^- ions and resulting within the creation of pure water. Here H⁺ and OH^- are present on the sites of resin beads hold in the demineralizer column or tank.

There are two common categories of ion exchange resins: those which exchange positive ions, known as cation resins, and those which exchange negative ions, known as anion resins.  A cation is an ion along with a positive charge. General cations involve Ca⁺⁺, Mg⁺⁺, Fe⁺⁺, and H⁺.  The cation resin is one which exchanges positive ions.  An anion is an ion along with a negative charge.  General anions involve Cl^-, SO ^--, and OH^-. The anion resin is one which exchanges negative ions. Through chemically, both types are same and belong to a group of compounds known as polymers that are very large molecules which are created through the combination of several molecules of one or two compounds within a repeating structure which generates long chains.