Chelating Ion Exchange Resins
Overview
Literature

Chelation Products

Purolite’s wide range of chelating resins contains special functional groups that give these resins superior selectivity for specific target ions. This selectivity is beneficial for challenging separations where typical strong acid cation or strong base anion resins are ineffective, mainly where high concentrations of competitive ions are present, or when very low residual leakage is required. 

Chelating products work differently from ion exchange resins by forming strong complexes with the target ion and the functional groups on the resin. Depending on the chelating product used, regeneration is possible by disrupting the complex formation or by using a competing ligand that is more favorable than the resin functional group. 

Chelation resins are found in a wide range of metals removal and recovery applications, from the primary recovery of precious metals as well as the removal of impurities that may be present as mere traces in high purity processes. 

Common applications for chelating ion exchange resins include:

  • Brine decalcification in the chlor-alkali industry
  • Resin-in-pulp (RIP) for base metal capture (copper, nickel, cobalt, zinc)
  • Removal of hexavalent chromium from potable water
  • Removal of boron in semiconductor process water
  • Recovery of high-value precious metal catalysts
  • Removal of mercury, regenerable and non-regenerable

Chelation Resins Products by Application