Screening of cation exchange resins for treating wastewater containing high concentration ammonia

In order to overcome the difficulty in choosing the right type of resin from numerous resins available for treating wastewater containing high concentration ammonia,three cation exchange resins:001×7,D61 and D001 were studied based on ion exchange theory.The ammonia adsorption isotherms of the simulated wastewater(concentration of ammonia 915 mg·L-1)in a fertilizer plant were investigated.Ammonium ion uptake equilibrium on three resins was reached within 30—50 minutes,and all adsorption isotherms were in line with the Freundlich adsorption model.The selectivity factor,practical exchange capacity and ion exchange rate of ammonium ion uptake on these resins were also investigated.D61 resin was the best resin for treating wastewater containing high concentration ammonia.This resin could guarantee effluent water meeting the demand of water quality in《Discharge standard of water pollutants for ammonia industry》(GB 13458—2001)with less resin quantity.