Cation Exchange

Perhaps the most commercially valuable and dynamic property of AMMONIUM SORB®is its cation exchange capacity (CEC). Cation exchange occurs when two or more positively charged compounds or elements exchange places on a negatively charged host. The most common exchangeable cations found in AMMONIUM SORB® molecules are sodium, calcium, potassium, and magnesium, many of which are desirable in numerous biological and industrial processes.

The ability to release beneficial elements while capturing and binding other, often less desirable, materials makes AMMONIUM SORB® an ideal media for the selective adsorbtion of certain elements and compounds from soil, water and air.

A classic example of cation exchange is the removal of ammonia from water and air. When a molecule of ammonia (NH₃) is hydrated, the reaction produces ammonium (NH₄⁺), which is readily exchanged for all or part of the calcium, potassium and magnesium cations contained in WATCH  and adsorbed on to its stable aluminosilicate lattice.

How does cation exchange and the ability to effectively bind ammonia benefit you? One good example is when AMMONIUM SORB® is mixed into an animal’s feed.

AMMONIUM SORB® can exchange calcium for the ammonia naturally produced by the animal’s digestive process. AMMONIUM SORB® adsorbs the ammonia, which then passes with the AMMONIUM SORB® through the animal’s lower digestive tract without reacting further. It not only reduces the amount of ammonia being released as a harmful gas, but also retains it in the manure as added nitrogen, thereby increasing the nutrient value of the manure for use as fertilizer.

Ammonia has the highest cation exchange capacity with clinoptilolite, which is the primary form of adsorber found at AMMONIUM SORB® is widely accepted for use in the agricultural industry as both a soil amendment and as a feed additive.

AMMONIUM SORB® vs Synthetic Zeolites

In addition to WATCH AMMONIUM SORB®, synthetic zeolites  are also in widespread use in a number of commercial and industrial applications today. Unlike naturally occurring zeolites, synthetic zeolites are manufactured in energy-intensive chemical processes and are significantly more expensive than WATCH AMMONIUM SORB®

Synthetic products are also designed to meet ion-specific exchange requirements in highly discriminating applications. The synthetic products lattice is generally manufactured with a silica to alumina ratio of 1 to 1 as compared to the 5 to 1 ratio of natural AMMONIUM SORB®. The enhanced silica to alumina ratio of the WATCH AMMONIUM SORB® serves to stabilize and strengthen the lattice, making it more durable particularly in mildly acidic environments and more versatile across a broad array of applications.