ion exchange

noun

: a reversible interchange of one kind of ion present on an insoluble solid with another of like charge present in a solution surrounding the solid with the reaction being used especially for softening or demineralizing water, the purification of chemicals, or the separation of substances

ion exchanger noun

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web

The Big Berkey Filter uses carbon and ion exchange to remove over 200 contaminants, including bacteria, pesticides, and heavy metals. —Tamar Kane, Health, 6 Feb. 2023

But that’s not what all the technetium did: A considerable percentage formed a still-unidentified compound that the ion exchange columns don’t capture. —Valerie Brown, Discover Magazine, 28 Sep. 2018

In 2019, the Lake County Public Works Department issued a letter to Lake Zurich asking the village to remove radium produced by its ion exchange process from the wastewater stream sent to Lake County, according to Village Manager Ray Keller. —Elizabeth Owens-schiele, chicagotribune.com, 8 Mar. 2022

The whole-house units are generally sodium ion exchange systems that trade the calcium and magnesium ions in the water for sodium. —Washington Post, 10 June 2021

The Glass Elite material undergoes an ion exchange tempering process that increases the surface tension for a durable and scratch-resistant protector. —Ellen Mcalpine, CNN Underscored, 9 Nov. 2020

The technology the pilot plant will use to separate and concentrate rare earth elements is called ion exchange and continuous ion chromatography. —Aldo Svaldi, The Denver Post, 12 Jan. 2020

Lilac, which announced the investment this week, says its ion exchange technology is twice as efficient as the current mining process and takes a fraction of the time. —Max De Haldevang, Quartz, 21 Feb. 2020

Because the skin-irritating minerals are passed through the water via ion exchange, the water then becomes soft and can potentially be less irritating to the skin. —Kaleigh Fasanella, Allure, 25 Sep. 2018

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Word History

First Known Use

1923, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

ion exchange

noun

ion ex·​change -iks-ˈchānj 

: a reversible interchange of one kind of ion present on an insoluble solid with another of like charge present in a solution surrounding the solid with the reaction being used especially for softening or demineralizing water, purifying chemicals, or separating substances