Did you know ion exchange resins are used on the international space station?

When going into space, you need to pack light and reuse everything you can. This means repurposing indispensable items like water and wastewater.

Ion resin exchange plays a critical role in recycling the wastewater onboard the space station making it ready for consumption. After broad filtration removes contaminants like soap and organic waste, the wastewater is polished to remove taste and odor using an ion exchange process making it potable.

Of course, the ability to breathe is essential to any mission. Another ion exchange system creates ultraclean water (18 megaohm) from potable water which is necessary in the oxygen generation system.

Want to go on a spacewalk? No problem. Astronauts have an ion exchange resin cartridge in their suits to scrub carbon dioxide as they breathe and keep levels from becoming toxic.

Click here to learn about removing organics
Click here to learn about ultraclean water