Separation of Alkali Metals from Liquid Media
Alkali metals are monovalent cations and are generally removed from liquid media by cation exchange resins.
Na
Sodium
K
Potassium
Rb
Rubidium
Cs
Cesium
Fr
Francium
Removal of alkali metals from water and organic solvents via ion exchange is common in chemical, petrochemical, oil refining, semiconductor manufacturing, and power utility plants.
In waters with low levels of dissolved salts, strongly acidic cation exchangers are employed, such as AmberSep™ G26 H Resin. Under alkaline conditions, a weak acid cation exchanger such as AmberLite™ MAC 3 Resin will provide higher capacity and easier regeneration. In organic solvents, either AmberLyst™ 16 Wet Catalyst or AmberLyst™ 15 Dry Catalyst is recommended.
Alkali metals can also be removed from water with reverse osmosis (RO) membranes. When the concentration of dissolved salts is higher, membrane separation is usually more economical than the use of ion exchange resins.