Conclusions

Our experiment is effective in determining the sufficiency of ion-exchange resin mechanisms. Compared to the readings for tap water where Ca²⁺ was present before treatment, the levels of Ca²⁺ after treatment were reduced by 98.8%-100%. Our final Ca²⁺ readings are well within the range of what is considered soft water according to water hardness scales, supporting the conclusion that the EWS ion exchange resin is effective in water softening.

References

[1] EDRO Corporation, “Water Hardness,” EDRO Corporation News, Sep. 25, 2025. [Online]. Available: https://edrocorp.com/141104news.html

[2] G. Cetin, “Removal of hardness of earth alkaline metals from aqueous solutions by ion exchange method,” ISRN Analytical Chemistry, vol. 2014, Art. ID 146046, PDF p. 6, 2014. [Online]. Available: https://doi.org/10.1155/2014/146046

Recommendations

We were recommended by the boss to charge the resin with HCl and let it sit for some time to fully charge the resin. Additionally, we were recommended to recharge periodically.

Future Improvements

Future experiments could include testing and comparison of different resins to determine a quantifiable measure of effectiveness, such as some form of ion-exchange rate constant. Additionally, further exploration of its efficacy in removing Mg²⁺ ions and determining theories from differences could be valuable. Regardless, this experiment is sufficient in providing a learning experience in ion-exchange mechanisms.