How to recharge DI resin

I finished my first recharge this afternoon. The di resin that was recharged was from Buckeye Field Supply, good folks by the way.

I would also like to mention that some information available on the web would have you believe that you must have a full body has mat suit to use the two chemicals needed to do this. It is safe if common sense is used. Most homes have had these chemicals to some extent in the cupboards below the sink. Acids like muriatic or hydrochloride are used to remove scale from showers and toilets. Lye has been used to clear drains and cut grease for years. Your grandparent may have used lye soap also. The muriatic acid is stronger than packaged bathroom cleaners. I did get small amounts on my skin and it felt like a mosquito bite, when I realized that it was not, I washed my hands and all was good. Some chlorine gas comes out of the bottle and when it is mixed, so don't sniff the bottle. I only mention this because those without common sense should not do this project.

The reason that I am posting this is because the information available on the process is for a Tap Water Purifier, TWP. The TWP, I believe to be similar but has a drain which most di canisters in our hobby do not. They also use carbon and have a spring, to take up empty space in the canister. Also the product Red Devil Lye is no longer marketed, which is used in the directions. You can find them here, http://www.reefs.org/library/article/twp_recharge.html

First gather up the products needed. The chemicals can be found at Lowes, the tools at Wal-Mart. The Lye is found at Lowes in the pluming section. It is used for clearing drains and made by a company called Roebic, and is 100% sodium hydroxide (caustic soda), also known as lye, as mentioned on the back of the bottle. The muriatic acid is found in the paint department. The mixing bottles must hold 16 oz. of fluid. I got mine from a nut tray from Christmas. The two containers used to separate the resins came from Wal-Mart and hold 64 oz. each. I also used a fruit strainer, coffee filters, a stir stick, 5 oz. measuring cup (large shot glass), a 32 oz. tumbler, turkey baster and two 5 gallon buckets. I had enough resin to do a double batch; my instructions will be for a single batch so some of the tools will be mentioned singularly.

I am sorry I did not take any pics of the process so I will give my best shot at describing the process. I first put cold tap water in a five gallon bucket, and filled another bucket with ro water. I then put 9 oz. of ro water in a16 oz. bottle, then added 3 fluid oz. of Lye. This stuff gets hot, but not so fast that it going to melt the bottle before you get it into a bucket of cold water. Put a lid on the bottle and make sure it is tight. The bottle will not expand, it will collapse a little, you can open it if it collapses too much. Wile the bottle of lye is cooling shake it to keep the stuff from solidifying on the bottom. Mine did a little but this did not mater. If this does happen after it is used put more water in the bottle and set it aside the solid stuff will dissolve. When the bottle of lye cools fill it with more ro water until the total volume is 12 oz.

Next fill the 32 oz. tumbler with 6 oz. of ro water and then add 6 oz. of acid. Set aside. If you are doing this out side then put the wind to your side or back, if you are doing this inside then use a fan to put the wind to you side or back. Do not breathe the gas from the Acid.

Put the di resin in the clear Rubbermaid container, then add the Lye solution, do this slowly and stir gently. In a few seconds you will see the resin began to separate. Use the turkey baster to remove the top layer of resin and put it in the second Rubbermaid container. As the top layer is removed from the first container you will start to see a gap between the bottom of the second container and the resin, if your gap in the first container is to low then use the baster and take the solution from the bottom of the second container and put it back into the first container. I had to do this so I did not start to pick up the lower layer of resin. When most, I say most, because you will never get all of the resin from the top of the first container into the second container, but do your best, then set the second container to the side and let the lye do its job for an hour.

Put a coffee filter in the fruit strainer and pore part of the first canister into the filter. You will not get all of the resin into the filter so do this in two batches, you will need to use a new filter each time you empty one. Run 1 gallon through each batch of resin from the first canister, then put it into a zip lock bag. When the last batch is rinsed put it all back into the first container. Add the acid solution into the container stirring gently. If you are regenerating color changing resin you should see it turn from brown to a very dark blue or purple. Set this aside for about an hour.

By the way the floating resin is anion and the sinking resin is cation .

After both have sat for an hour then take the anion and drain it past a coffey filter, do this in two batches and run a gallon of ro water through each batch. When done draining from the water rinse then put in a zip lock bag.

Now take the cation and do the same as the anion. Empty the rinse water and acid into the same bucket as the anion's lye and rince water. The two will neutralize each other. You can empty the cation into the same bag as the anion. Mix each and fill the di canister.

I ran a gallon through the system and my tds meter was reading 0 so I felt this was enough.

The lye.

The muradic acid.

The tools.

This is the work area that I do my recharge. The orange bucket has ro water in it and the blue is full of cool tap water. The blue bucket is dumped after the lye cools and is used to catch the acid and lye solutions.

First measure up 9 oz of water and 3 fluid oz of lye.

Combine, look no splattering or bubbling.

Put in bucket of cold water.

Mix up 6 oz of acid with 6 oz of water. The tumbler to the left is what I put the acid and water in.


Here is a pic of 5lbs of spent resin.

After the lye solution has cooled ad 2 oz of water.

Then mix the lye solution with the resin.

Stir

This is what it looks like when the resin separates, the stir stick is still in the resin.

Remove the top layer of resin with a turkey baster. If your container is clear it makes the job easier.

As you remove solution the gap between the upper resin and lower resin gets smaller. The gap between the bottom of the second container gets bigger. In the pic I have just started and have not removed much lye solution, but you can see the gaps.

You can tip the jar to get a greater gap when you transfer fluid back to the first container. The turkey baster is in the pic, you have to look closely.

After you have skimmed the top layer of resin you should have this.

The fruit strainer with a coffee filter.

Put the cation (resin that sinks) in the coffee filter, split the resin into two batches

Run 1/2 gallon through each batch.

Put cation resin in a zip lock bag. Turning the fruit strainer upside down in the bag and letting the coffee filter fall on top of the resin, worked best for me. You just pinch the filter shake as much resin off and put in trash.

The cation before the acid was added.

Adding the acid to the cation resin.

Stirring the cation and acid. The color changes pretty quick. My camera puts allot of red with the flash but the stuff is turning purple.

It is purple.

Set the anion (the resin that floats) and the cation to the side and find something to do for an hour.

After the hour is up take the anion resin and in two batches run 1 gallon of water through each. Put your rinse water in the same container that you rinsed the anion resin in, in the earlier step.

Then put in a new zip lock bag.

Do the same thing to the cation resin. Two batches 1 gallon of water through the resin and filter. Put all rinse water and chemicals in the same bucket. The acid and base will neutralize each other.

Put cation resin in same bag. For separate beds keep the resins in separate bags.

Mix well.

Done.
I did two canisters of resin in this photo shoot but only listed the measurements for a single batch.
Spent resin vs. recharged resin

[Lynne]

I needed a nap after reading that! Good Grief! How much is new resin?