The Basics of Water Chemistry

By C.F. “Chubb” Michaud

Water chemistry is basic but, nonetheless, it’s still chemistry. Understanding the fundamentals of chemistry is necessary in order to grasp the full breadth of how certain aspects of water filtration work – especially ion exchange.

Part 1 of this article points out the basic ionization process and the relationships that exist between one species and another. Part 2 examines the proper use of a water analysis and traps to avoid in deciphering it. Part 3 deals with the selectivity of ion exchange resins and how to best design ion exchange treatment systems for optimizing results. It also provides some useful information on using the Periodic Table of the Elements for predicting selectivity in ion exchange.

Download the three parts of the series in PDF format:

The Basics of Water Chemistry, Part I
The Basics of Water Chemistry, Part II
The Basics of Water Chemistry, Part III