Chapter 1 - Introduction

Abstract

This chapter fills a “two-dimensional” gap. First, there is a lack of modern comprehensive books on the chemistry of ion exchange materials, and on the relationships between their properties and practical applications. Second, there is a lack of books on the chemistry of ion exchange that are targeted for industrial R&D specialists and research students who are not working with ion exchange on a daily basis, who need this new competence, and who find it difficult to start studying the subject from primary scientific publications. This chapter describes classical and modern theoretical concepts as well as practical approaches to exploitation of ion exchange materials. There is a wide diversity of ion exchange materials as well as a diversity of their applications. Ion exchangers have many appearances: natural and artificial as well as inorganic and polymeric. They are woods, papers, sands, clays, and living organisms. The main focus of this chapter is on ion exchange polymers: ion exchange resins, chelating resins, imprinted (templated), and other functional polymers. Other materials, and first of all, inorganic materials such as zeolites, are also described.