Proses Demineralisasi Air

Demineralisasi air adalah sebuah proses penyerapan kandungan ion-ion mineral di

dalam air dengan menggunakan resin ion exchange. Air hasil proses demineralisasi
digunakan untuk berbagai macam kebutuhan, terutama untuk industri. Industri yang
menggunakan air demin diantaranya yakni pembangkit listrik tenaga uap, industri
semikonduktor, dan juga industri farmasi.
 Skema Kolom Resin Ion Exchange Pada Proses Demineralisasi
(Sumber)

Ada dua tipe kolom resin yang umum digunakan pada proses demineralisasi air.
Keduanya adalah Single Bed dan Mixed Bed Ion Exchange Resin. Single Bed berarti di
dalam satu kolom hanya terdapat satu jenis resin saja yakni kation resin saja atau anion
resin saja. Sedangkan kolom Mixed Bed berisi campuran resin kation dan anion.

Kedua tipe kolom resin di atas bekerja pada dua tipe sistem demineralisasi yang
berbeda:

1. Multi-Stage Demineralisasi
Pada awal proses demineralisasi multi-stage, air akan melewati resin kation untuk
mengikat ion-ion mineral positif. Proses ini diikuti dengan pelepasan ion H + ke dalam air.
Jika R dan K2+ berturut-turut adalah molekul ion resin dan ion mineral positif, maka
reaksi ion exchange yang terjadi pada kolom resin yakni sebagai berikut:
      2 R-H + K2+ → R2K + 2 H+

Ion kalsium yang terlarut di dalam air biasanya berbentuk kalsium bikarbonat. Pada
saat ion kalsium diikat molekul resin, kalsium bikarbonat akan terpecah membentuk
molekul air dan karbondioksida.
      2 R-H + Ca(HCO3)2 → R2Ca + 2 H2 + 2 CO2
Molekul karbondioksida hasil reaksi di atas dikeluarkan melalui sistem CO 2 removal.
 Kombinasi Kolom Resin Kation, Anion, serta Sistem Pembuang CO 2
(Sumber)

Ion H+ yang lepas ke dalam air akan berikatan dengan anion terlarut di dalam air.
Sehingga reaksi ion hidrogen tersebut akan menghasilkan asam kuat seperti asam
sulfurik, hidroklorik, dan asam nitrit. Untuk menghilangkan keasaman ini, air dialirkan
lebih lanjut ke resin anion. Saat melewati resin anion, ion-ion negatif yang larut di dalam
air akan terikat oleh molekul resin diikuti dengab terlepasnya ion OH -. Jika A adalah ion
negatif yang terlarut di dalam air, maka reaksi yang terjadi pada resin anion adalah
sebagai berikut:
      2 R-OH + A2- → R2A + 2 OH-

Pada akhirnya ion H+ dan OH- akan bereaksi membentuk molekul air baru:
      H+ + OH- → H2O
 Proses Demineralisasi Air Multi-stage
(Sumber)

Bentuk variasi sistem demineralisasi lain yakni dengan menggunakan kolom resin anion
kuat dan lemah. Sistem ini menghasilkan kualitas output yang sama dengan hanya
menggunakan satu resin anion. Keuntungan sistem ini yaitu lebih ekonomis saat harus
mengikat anion-anion kuat seperti sulfat dan klorit, karena pada saat proses regenerasi
resin, larutan NaOH pekat yang keluar dari kolom resin kuat sudah cukup untuk
meregenerasi anion resin lemah. Untuk menghadapi anion kuat terlarut dalam air
dengan jumlah yang sama, jumlah larutan NaOH yang dibutuhkan untuk meregenerasi
dua anion resin tersebut, lebih sedikit dibandingkan NaOH yang meregenerasi sistem
dengan satu anion resin.
 Proses Demineralisasi Air Menggunakan Resin Anion Kuat dan Lemah
(Sumber)

2. Mixed Bed Demineralisasi
Pada beberapa kebutuhan industri, terkadang dibutuhkan tidak satu tahap proses
pertukaran kation dan anion. Pada beberapa proses, bahan baku air dilewatkan sampai
dua atau tiga kation dan anion kolom resin. Untuk meringkas proses, maka
setiap stage pertukaran ion dapat digunakan satu kolom resin yang berisi resin kation
dan anion sekaligus. Pada akhir proses demineralisasi, akan didapatkan air dengan
kualitas sangat murni. Sistem ini sangat cocok digunakan pada pabrik-pabrik pengguna
boiler bertekanan tinggi, serta industri elektronik untuk kebutuhan mencuci transistor
dan komponen-komponen elektronika lainnya.
 Kolom Resin Mixed Bed
(Sumber)

Proses Regenerasi
Jika keseluruhan molekul resin telah mengikat ion sasaran mereka, maka resin
dikatakan telah mencapai titik jenuhnya. Untuk dapat menggunakan kembali resin
tersebut perlu dilakukan proses regenerasi. Berikut adalah tahapan umum proses
regenerasi resin single-bed kation atau anion:

1. Lakukan pencucian resin backwash dengan mengalirkan air berlawanan arah dengan

aliran normal treatment. Tahap ini bertujuan untuk menghilangkan kotoran yang
mungkin mengendap di dalam kolom.
2. Injeksi regenerant (H2SO4 atau NaOH) yang telah dilarutkan dengan air berkualitas, ke
dalam kolom resin. Regenerant harus mengalir pada kecepatan yang cukup sehingga
waktu kontak dengan resin adalah 20 hinga 40 menit.
3. Alirkan air murni ke dalam kolom dengan kecepatan yang sama dengan tahap
sebelumnya.
4. Terakhir, bilas resin dengan mengalirkan air demin dengan kecepatan sama dengan
proses treatment, sampai air output dari resin ini sesuai dengan kualitas yang
diinginkan.
 Untuk proses regenerasi resin mixed-bed, membutuhkan tahapan yang lebih banyak.
Berikut adalah tahapan-tahapan tersebut:

1. Lakukan backwash untuk memisahkan resin kation dengan resin anion.

2. Hentikan backwash dan tunggu hingga butiran-butiran resin mengendap.
3. Jika diperlukan, buang air di dalam kolom hingga level mencapai setara dengan
ketinggian resin.
4. Injeksikan NaOH pekat yang telah dilarutkan ke dalam air demin.
5. Keluarkan NaOH dari dalam kolom dengan mengalirkan air pelarut ke dalam kolom.
6. Injeksikan larutan asam pekat (seperti hidroklorik atau asam sulfat) ke dalam kolom
resin.
7. Keluarkan larutan asam dari dalam kolom dengan mengalirkan air pelarut ke dalam
kolom.
8. Buang air hingga mencapai level setara dengan butiran resin.
9. Aduk resin dengab menghembuskan udara terkompresi bersih atau nitrogen
bertekanan.
10. Isi kembali kolom dengan air demineralisasi.
11. Lakukan pembilasan terakhir hingga didapatkan kualitas output yang sesuai dengan
spesifikasi.
 Sistem Demineralisasi Air
(Sumber)

Referensi:

 Deionised / Demineralised Water

 Regeneration Methods for Ion Exchange Unit
 Principle of Water Treatment

Referensi dan eBook Gratis:

 Resin Bed Regeneration in Water Treatment Processes

 Demineralization of Deionizer System
 Ion Exchange Primer
 Ion Exchange and Demineralization

RESIN REGENERATION
FUNDAMENTALS
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Regeneration procedures and guidelines for softeners and two-bed deionizers

The basic purpose of resin regeneration is to restore the exhausted resin back to its proper ionic
form for service. Although there are various manuals and sources that contain information on how to
regenerate resins, for many, guessing plays a major role in this process. To eliminate the guess
factor from the resin regeneration equation, this article will provide an overview of the basic
regeneration procedures and guidelines for softeners and two-bed deionizers.

 
Softeners
The end of a softener service cycle is determined either by a timed service run, total gallon
throughput, or a high measure of hardness in the softener effluent. A four-step regeneration
sequence is then performed.
1. Backwash Cycle. The backwash cycle expands the resin bed from its settled and packed
condition, and cleans the resin by flushing out any suspended solids that may have been filtered
during the service run. Resin particles can act as effective filter media because they have ionic
charges, which can coagulate fine particles. During the backwash, the resin beads rub against each
other, and this scrubbing action helps clean accumulated dirt or iron from the surface of the beads.
The backwash flow also removes any broken resin particles or resin fines. In addition, the backwash
cycle classifies the bed with the larger resin beads on the bottom and the finer resins on top. This
provides the best conditions for a good uniform flow of brine, rinse and service.
It is desirable to expand the softener resin bed about 50% and to have the duration of the backwash
cycle long enough to effectively remove all of the resin fines and other suspended solids. At ambient
temperatures (about 60°F), using standard softening cation resin and a flow rate of 6 gpm per
square foot of surface area for a duration of 10 to 15 minutes is sufficient. It is very important to
consult manufacturers’ literature for the specific resin being regenerated to find the correct backwash
flow rate. The backwash flow rate is dependent on temperature; cooler water expands the bed more
than warmer water.
2. Brine Introduction. Sodium chloride is used as the regenerant chemical for converting exhausted
softener resin back to the sodium form. The resin exchanges the collected hardness on the bead
with the sodium ion present in the sodium chloride. It is applied to the bed at a concentration of 8 to
12%; usually, 10% is the norm. A contact time of 30 minutes is desirable. The total contact time is
calculated from the time the brine is introduced to the bed until it is displaced from the bed during the
slow rinse. Salt dosage range is 6 to 15 lb per cubic foot.
3. Slow Rinse. The slow rinse or displacement step removes from the bed the volume of brine
regenerant that is still in the vessel. This is the most pure brine that the resin will come into contact
with, so it is important not to flush it out too quickly. During the slow rinse cycle, the valve from the
concentrated brine is shut, and only the dilution water is introduced to the bed at the dilution water
flow rate. It helps if the dilution water and the slow rinse water are from a softened water supply.
4. Fast Rinse. The final step is a fast rinse, and it is performed at the service flow rate. The fast
rinse step removes any residual brine from the resin beads and helps flush out any brine that may
be present in dead areas of the tank. The minimum recommended flow rate is 1 to 1.5 gpm per cubic
foot.

 
Two-Bed Deionizers
The regeneration of cation and anion exchange resins used in deionizers is a more complicated
process than simple softening. The process includes the use of strong acid and caustic. It is
important to observe the appropriate safety considerations for handling these chemicals and the
resultant waste products.
A strong acid cation unit exchanges calcium, magnesium and sodium, etc., with its active ions,
hydrogen. The strong base anion unit in a two-bed deionizer exchanges sulfate, chloride, alkalinity
and silica ions with hydroxide. This slowly reduces the concentration of available active ions. The
resin is considered exhausted when the active ion concentration reaches a low level, and effluent
has a pre-selected high leakage of unexchanged ions, known as endpoint leakage. This leakage is
usually indicated by a conductivity setpoint.
1. Backwash. During the service cycle, the resin bed collects suspended impurities from water.
Some of the media particles/beads can break up into fines, and the bed becomes somewhat
compacted. Introducing water at calculated flow rates in the opposite direction to the service flow lifts
the bed, which loosens up and expands into the free board. This forces the suspended particles and
media fines out of the unit. At the same time, the bed loses its compaction, reducing the likelihood of
channeling, which could cause water or regenerant chemicals to bypass some of the effective media
bed. Compaction and fines also cause excessive pressure drop.
Water of the same quality as the influent is introduced from the bottom of the vessel, collected at the
top and then directed to the drain. Proper backwash rate is of great importance since rates higher
than suggested may cause media loss, and lower rates may not be sufficient to complete the
backwash properly. Any sudden shock in the backwash cycle should be avoided, as this may cause
media loss.
Consult the resin specification sheets for the proper backwash flow rate because cation and anion
resin densities are quite different. Generally, cation backwash flow rates are in the range of 6 gpm
per square foot of surface area, and the anion backwash flow rate is about half of that.
2. Regenerant Introduction. Regenerants of proper concentration are introduced into the tanks to
reactivate the resin. The strength of dilute regenerant and its flow rate are of utmost importance. Any
change in these values compared to the ones specifically suggested may cause resin fouling,
capacity loss and quality deterioration. In some cases, the regenerant has to be heated to a specific
temperature to complete a proper elution. (Elution is the stripping off of exchanged ions.)
Acid application to cation resin. The strong acid cation exchanger resin is regenerated with sulphuric
or hydrochloric acid, which effectively strips off the calcium, magnesium and sodium from the resin,
substituting hydrogen. Hydrochloric acid is typically applied at between 4 and 6%.
If dilute sulfuric acid is used, the percent concentration is often applied in a stepwise fashion; for
instance, the first half of the dosage is applied at 2% and the second half at 4%. The exact
concentration of sulfuric used is calculated from the amount of calcium that is present in the water
being treated during the service cycle. Because the resin is removing and concentrating calcium
ions, a potential for the precipitation of calcium sulfate exists when the sulfuric acid is applied.
The contact time for the acid regenerant introduction should be around 30 minutes, and the flow rate
should be about 0.5 to 1 gpm per cubic foot. (When using sulfuric acid, it is wise to design around
the high end of the recommended regenerant flow rate.)
Caustic application to anion resin. Caustic soda, or sodium hydroxide (NaOH), is used to regenerate
the anion resin. A concentration of 4% is applied at a flow rate between 0.25 and 0.5 gpm per cubic
foot. A contact time of 45 minutes minimum, 60 minutes preferred, is required.
The anion resin exchanges off the collected anions for the hydroxide (OH) ion in the caustic. Any
collected silica needs to be re-dissolved off of the resin, and this is facilitated by time and
temperature. That is why the 60-minute contact time is indicated. Also, it is important to elevate the
temperature of the dilute caustic to 120°F for type 1 anion resins (95°F max for type 2).
3. Displacement (Slow) Rinse. The process of displacement of regenerants and the eluted ions
from the resin is started at a slow pace, normally at the same flow rate at which the dilute regenerant
was introduced.
4. Fast Rinse. After the slow rinse, the resin is rinsed further at a higher flow rate. Rinsing removes
the excess regenerant from the resin. At the same time, all of the eluted ions are displaced from the
resin bed, bringing the resin back to active condition, ready to be put into service.
There are various factors that can affect the outcome of resin regeneration. Hopefully, this article will
eliminate guesswork and help you better understand the overall regeneration process.