14m3ph Demineralization Water Plant With Chemical Regeneration For Na Cation And Cl Anion Resins
What is a Demineralized Water Plant?
A demineralized water plant (DM water plant) is a water treatment system that removes dissolved minerals and salts from raw water.
It produces high-purity water for industries such as power plants, pharmaceuticals, electronics manufacturing, food & beverage, and laboratories.
Real Case Sharing About 14m3ph dm water plant
This 14 m³/h demineralized water plant is specially designed according to the customer’s requirements.
The client is an engineering company from Mexico. Their raw water comes from a borehole with a TDS of 3,550 mg/L.
After demineralization and related treatment processes, the product water TDS can be reduced to around 1,000 mg/L.
The treated water will be used as industrial process water.
How the Demineralized Water Plant Meet Customer Requirements?
This demineralization system is designed with two sets of 14 m³/h cation and anion resin filters.
It uses an ion-exchange process to reduce raw water hardness and TDS.Since the resins must be regenerated with acid and alkali—each regeneration taking about one hour—the system is designed with a duty/standby mode.
While one set regenerates, the other continues operating to ensure uninterrupted production.
Each set includes a feed pump, a cation resin filter, and an anion resin filter.
The system is equipped with a regeneration pump, regeneration tank, acid and alkali tanks, motorized valve group, and a PLC + HMI control panel.
These features enable automatic dosing, automatic regeneration, and fully automatic operation, reducing manual intervention time and operating costs.
This design not only fully meets the customer’s TDS and industrial usage requirements for produced water, but also saves the customer time and costs.
About this demineralization water treatment plant process flow:
Raw Water Tank → Feed Water Pump → Cation Resin Filter → Anion Resin Filter → Product Water Tank
1.Feed Water Pump:
The main function of the feed water pump is to provide stable inlet pressure and ensure smooth delivery of raw water to the cation exchange unit.
2.Function of Cation Resin Filter:
Water first passes through the cation resin filter, where positively charged ions such as calcium (Ca²⁺), magnesium (Mg²⁺), sodium (Na⁺), and iron (Fe²⁺/Fe³⁺) are exchanged with hydrogen ions (H⁺).
This step effectively reduces water hardness and prepares the water for the next stage.
3.Function of Anion Resin Filter:
It removes negative ions such as chloride, sulfate, nitrate, and silica by exchanging them with hydroxide ions, helping produce high-purity demineralized water.
The cation resin filter removes positive ions like calcium and magnesium, while the anion resin filter removes negative ions such as chloride and sulfate. Together, they produce high-purity demineralized water.
4.Raw water tank and product water tank:
Their main purpose is to store water. We generally advise customers to prepare their own or purchase them locally, as this can help reduce transportation costs.
There are also additional accessories that help the system operate more efficiently and improve the overall water purification performance:
1.Cation Resin Regeneration System
Used to restore the cation resin’s ion-exchange capacity by flushing it with acid solution, ensuring long-term efficiency in removing positive ions from the water.
2.Anion Resin Regeneration System
Used to regenerate the anion resin by flushing it with alkali solution, restoring its ability to remove negative ions and maintain high water purity.
3.Regeneration Pump
Provides the required flow and pressure for the regeneration chemicals (acid and alkali) to the resin beds during the regeneration process.
4.Control System
The control panel mainly uses a PLC and HMI to automate system operations, monitor performance, and provide user-friendly control and diagnostics.
5.Level Controller
Monitors water levels in tanks and vessels to prevent overflow or dry running, ensuring stable system operation and protection of equipment.
What is Resin Regeneration and Why is it Necessary？
Simply put, resin regeneration is the process of restoring the activity of ion exchange resins.
In water treatment plants, commonly used resins fall into two main categories:
1.Cation exchange resins: adsorb hardness ions such as calcium and magnesium in water.
2.Anion exchange resins: adsorb negative ions such as carbonates, sulfates, and nitrates in water.
The main purpose of regeneration:
After some time of use, the active sites on the resin become occupied by ions in the water, such as calcium, magnesium, or sulfate, and lose their ion-exchange ability.
If not regenerated, the water treatment efficiency decreases, and the quality of the output water cannot meet the required standards.
So the purpose of regeneration: Using chemical agents (acid or alkali) to replace the ions on the resin, restoring its active sites and ensuring the long-term stable operation of the water treatment system.
What Is the Resin Regeneration Cycle and Duration?
Resin Regeneration Cycle for This System:
The default cycle is 48 hours of cumulative operation.
If the system runs 8 hours/day, this translates to regeneration every 6 days.
The cycle can be adjusted via HMI based on water quality (TDS, hardness) or operational needs.
Resin Regeneration Duration:
Usually 1–2 hours for most systems, depending on resin volume and water flow rate.
Large industrial systems may take longer.
Recommended: One-Standby, One-In-Use Approach
For applications with high water demand, it is generally recommended to design two systems.
While one system is in operation, the other can undergo regeneration, ensuring an uninterrupted water supply.
Comparison Between Reverse Osmosis (RO) and Ion Exchange/Resin Technology
| Feature | Reverse Osmosis (RO) | Ion Exchange / Resin |
| Principle | High-pressure membrane separation to remove salts | Resin ion exchange to remove hardness or specific ions |
| Water Quality | Ultra-low TDS | Softened or demineralized water |
| Efficiency | High salt removal (≈99%) | Removes hardness and specific ions |
| Maintenance | Membranes require cleaning/replacement | Resin requires acid/alkali regeneration |
| Invested cost | High | Low |
| Applications | Drinking water, ultrapure water, seawater desalination | Industrial boiler water, softened water, RO polishing |
| Continuous Supply | Requires anti-scaling measures | Can use “one standby, one in use” mode to ensure uninterrupted supply |
Recommended Users
This double bed water treatment system offers low procurement cost and high cost-effectiveness, suitable for customers with high water quality requirements.
Ongoing maintenance requires certain technical expertise, especially in operating double-bed processes and performing acid-base regeneration.
Recommended for customers with experience in mixed-bed operation or a professional technical team to ensure stable and efficient system performance.
Maintenance & Support
The system offers automatic monitoring and alarms to track water quality and equipment status, quickly detecting any issues to prevent downtime.
It provides resin life alerts and customizable regeneration cycles to ensure continuous high-quality water production.
Optional services include remote technical support, regular inspections, and one-year online after-sales support to maintain stable operation and extend equipment life.
Before Purchase, Please Confirm the Following Information:
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Required Capacity: What capacity do you need? We can customize systems from 1,000 L/hr to 50 m³/hr.
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Source Water Quality: Is your source water well water, seawater, brackish water, groundwater, or other? What is the TDS of your water? Providing a water quality analysis report is preferred.
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Power Supply: Which voltage do you use: 380V / 50Hz / 3-phase, 220V / 50Hz / 1-phase, or 460V / 60Hz / 3-phase?
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Intended Water Use: What will the treated water be used for?
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Desired Product Water TDS: What is the target TDS for the treated water?
If you need a water treatment system but are unsure which process is right for you, don’t hesitate to contact Haiyuan. We offer demineralized water plant free professional guidance and quotation services!
Contact Us:
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WhatsApp/Wechat/Mobile: +8618825874379
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Email: haiyuan@swroplant.com