MIEX ® RESIN WATER TREATMENT PROCESS

The MIEX®1 Resin process was developed in Australia for the removal of natural organic material in water treatment. This novel, truly continuous ion exchange process, is based on the MIEX ® resin – a micro size, macroporous, strong base, magnetic ion exchange resin. The resin was specially developed for this application and optimised for reversible removal of negatively charged organic ions. The MIEX ® resin process uses mixed tanks for contacting resin with water. A very small amount of resin (5-10 mL settled resin per litre water) is used to exchange organics from water during 15-30 min detention time in a continuous, stirred tank reactor. After that, the resin is separated and treated water removed from the process for further treatment in a downstream settling unit. The gravity settling based resin separation is very efficient because of “magnetically ” enhanced agglomeration of individual resin beads, a process that yields resin agglomerates capable of settling against high water rise rate in the settler. Settled resin accumulates on the settler bottom and is pumped back to the contactor as concentrated slurry. Small amount of recycled resin is continuously removed for regeneration and replaced with regenerated resin. This general concept of the MIEX ® resin process is explained in detail in this paper and supported with results from a number of evaluation trials conducted in Australia