Tech Fact

DuPont Ion Exchange Resins

Resin wear-out guidelines

Introduction Table 1: SBA (strongly basic anion exchange resins)

Attrition loss Total capacityloss Expected lifetime

Resin Type (%) per annum (%) per annum (years)
Styrenic gel type 1 5 3 6
Styrenic gel type 2 7 3 6
Styr. macroporous type 1 5 2 7
Styr. macroporous type 2 7 2 5
Acrylic 6 2 5

Factors influencing lifetime & comments

l Cl2 causes rinse problems, capacity loss, decrosslinking.
l Beware of organic fouling.
l Temperature limit for type 2 & acrylics: 35 °C (95 °F).

It is difficult to predict the life of a resin in a given installation, as many parameters

can affect the resin:

Table 2: Factors That Affect Resin Life

Influencing factor Effect

Temperature Degradation of anion resins
Oxidants De-crosslinking and loss of functional groups
Organics Fouling, potentially irreversible, of anion resins
Pre-treatment Possible contamination with foulants, suspended solids
Iron, calcium, barium Can precipitate in the resin beads
Other foulants Oil, polyelectrolytes, etc. can foul the resin
Cycle length Short cycles create more osmotic stress than long ones
Flow rate High flow rate creates high pressure drop
Frequent resin transfer Can cause mechanical stress

The following tables give resin wear-out rates through chemical and mechanical
damage for the first year and for subsequent years in operation. In water treatment
applications, typical resin lifetimes can range from 7 to15 years for a cation exchange
resin and 3 to 8 years for anion resins.

Page 1 of 4 Figure 1: Pictures of a gel type and a macroporous uniform particle

Form No. sizeRev.
45-D01119-en, sin1
November 2019
 Industrial water Table 3: WAC (weakly acidic cation exchange resins)
treatment
Attrition loss Total capacity loss Expected lifetime
Resin Type (%) per annum (%) per annum (years)
All resins 10 3 7

Factors influencing lifetime & comments

l Bacteria fouling
l Fe fouling, CaSO 4 fouling
l Resins with a high H to Na swelling cannot be used in the Na or NH 4 forms.

Table 4: SAC (strongly acidic cation exchange resins)

Attrition loss Total capacity loss Expected lifetime

Resin Type (%) per annum (%) per annum (years)
Gel Type, standard DVB 3 3 10
Gel type, high DVB 2 2 10
Macroporous 2 2 10

Factors influencing lifetime & comments

l Fe fouling (Na-cycle)
l CaSO 4 fouling (H 2SO 4 regen)
l Decrosslinking if Cl2>0.2 mg/L

Table 5: WBA (weakly basic anion exchange resins)

Attrition loss Total capacity loss Expected lifetime

Resin Type (%) per annum (%) per annum (years)
Styrenic 3 4 6
Acrylic 2 4 6

1. In the first year capacity loss of WBA resins can be higher (~ 6 to 8 %)

2. Factors influencing lifetime & comments
l Cl2 causes rinse problems
l Risk of SiO 2 fouling in regeneration (all WBA)
l Acrylics: very good resistance to org fouling

General notes for WBA and SBA resins

Type 2 resins lose their strong base capacity about twice as fast as their total
capacity.

Acrylic resins lose their strong base capacity about 1.5 times as fast as total capacity.

See Temperature Stability of Anion Exchange Resins (Form No. 45-D01456-en).

Inerts
Attrition loss Total capacity loss Expected lifetime
Resin Type (%) per annum (%) per annum (years)
All 0 0 15

Factors influencing lifetime & comments

l Risk of losing inert resins with a density smaller than 1.

Page 2 of 4 Form No. 45-D01119-en, Rev. 1

November 2019
 Industrial water Polishing mixed beds
treatment (Cont.) Attrition loss Total capacity loss Expected lifetime
Resin Type (%) per annum (%) per annum (years)
SAC 3 3 8
SBA 5 3 6

Factors influencing lifetime & comments

l Oxidants must be absolutely avoided.
l Organic fouling is a serious risk.
l Acrylic SBA resins used in MBs are sensitive to temperature.

Attrition loss Total capacity loss Expected lifetime

Condensate
Resins Type (%) per annum (%) per annum (years)
polishing
SAC (all) 3 3 7
SBA gel type 7 6 6
SBA macroporous 5 6 6

The data given for condensate polishing are valid only if

1. The pressure drop never exceeds 250 kPa (36 psi)
2. The service flow rate is < 125 m/h (50 gpm/ft 2) and < 125 BV/h (15 gpm/ft 3)
3. No instantaneous flow changes > 12 m/h (5 gpm/ft 2)
4. Temperature is never > 50 °C (120 °F)
5. Temperature is ≤ 35 °C (95 °F) for ≥ 90% of operation
6. No instantaneous temp changes > 15°C (30 °F)
7. No oil, grease or hydrocarbons
8. O2 < 100 µg/L (ppb)
9. Cl2 < 20 µg/L (ppb)
10. Maximum number of resin transfers in resin life:

Macroporous SAC 600 transfers Gel type SAC 300 transfers

Macroporous SBA 300 transfers Gel type SBA 200 transfers

Final note Under mild operating conditions and good control of the ion exchange plant, the
mentioned expected lifetime of the resins is sometimes exceeded.

Ion Exchange Resin Replacement (Form No. 45-D01121-en) offers recommendations

about resin replacement.

Page 3 of 4 Form No. 45-D01119-en, Rev. 1

November 2019
Have a question? Contact us at: All information set forth herein is for informational purposes only. This information is general information and may differ from that
based on actual conditions. Customer is responsible for determining whether products and the information in this document are
www.dupont.com/water/contact-us
appropriate for Customer's use and for ensuring that Customer's workplace and disposal practices are in compliance with
applicable laws and other government enactments. The product shown in this literature may not be available for sale and/or
available in all geographies where DuPont is represented. The claims made may not have been approved for use in all countries.
Please note that physical properties may vary depending on certain conditions and while operating conditions stated in this
document are intended to lengthen product lifespan and/or improve product performance, it will ultimately depend on actual
circumstances and is in no event a guarantee of achieving any specific results. DuPont assumes no obligation or liability for the
information in this document. References to “DuPont” or the “Company” mean the DuPont legal entity selling the products to
Customer unless otherwise expressly noted. NO WARRANTIES ARE GIVEN; ALL IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY
OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE EXPRESSLY EXCLUDED. No freedom from infringement of any patent or
trademark owned by DuPont or others is to be inferred.

DuPont™, the DuPont Oval Logo, and all trademarks and service marks denoted with ™, ℠ or ® are owned by affiliates of
DuPont de Nemours Inc. unless otherwise noted. © 2020 DuPont.

Page 4 of 4 Form No. 45-D01119-en, Rev. 1

November 2019