For most people, “water treatment” brings to mind clean water for drinking and household use. But water is integral to so many other processes, and is the lifeblood of industry. Regular tap water, however, won’t serve all needs. For many industrial and commercial water applications, deionization is necessary to remove potentially harmful minerals and ions.

For jobs that require high purity water, deionization is a must. The industrial and commercial deionization process is very complex but modern DI equipment and service programs can make it simple for the industrial and commercial user.  Service deionization (SDI) using portable deionization exchange tanks is a must for organizations that wish to minimize their capital requirements and focus on their core areas of competency.

DI exchange tanks can be two-bed or mixed bed deionizers with an acid-regenerated cation connected in series with an alkaline-regenerated anion vessel. The two-bed deionization system involves the cation and the anion being separated in two different vessels. In the mixed bed deionization system, they are placed together in the same vessel.

These two industrial/commercial deionization systems are very different, but the overall goal is the same – purified, demineralized water for manufacturing, hospital and commercial systems. All systems should include a carbon tank to remove chlorine and organics to extend the life of the deionization tanks as well as a fiber pre-filter, a quality monitor or light and a fiber post-filter.  The systems can be customized according to flow rate and the amount of water needed per day.

Applications for portable DI exchange tanks vary.  A two bed deionization system (also known as Separate Bed System) is often used when water quality needs to be close to a resistivity point but not ultrapure. When a system needs a water quality in the range of under 1 Megohm but better than 1-30 microsiemens of conductivity (dependent on feed water source) this is a great option when a Reverse Osmosis (RO) System is cost prohibitive.

Mixed bed deionization systems can produce ultra-pure water closely approaching theoretically pure water of 18 Megohm and can easily achieve a water quality in the ultrapure range. Typically for a high water volume consumption application, mixed bed tanks will be used as polishers following a reverse osmosis (RO) system to take the water quality to the next level. Some applications included are lab testing, sterilization of instruments, and manufacturing.

For example, when water is used as a cooling or cleaning agent for metal parts, minerals can cause discoloration or spotting if left to air-dry. Demineralized water combats this problem and keeps manufactured products clean and spot-free.

The Industrial Water Solutions strong base anion two bed (DI) exchange tanks are pre-assembled and easy to install. Once they’ve reached their use limit, they’ll be replaced with new fully regenerated tanks delivered through Industrial Water Solutions service deionization (SDI).

For more information on portable water exchange service deionization, please visit the Industrial Water Solutions website. You can also request a proposal online if you’re in the market for a new system.