The chemical industry has a whole series of technologies and products for making drinking water palatable and wastewater environmentally compatible. Adsorption and absorption methods play a key role in water treatment. Adsorption removes substances from the water by bonding them to a solid surface, whereas absorption dissolves them in a liquid.

Ion exchange resin adsorption
Ion exchange resins have proven to be very versatile and powerful. The plastic beads, just a few millimeters in size, are able to bind specific ions – tiny, electrically charged particles – from solutions and to replace them with other, safer particles. For example, they can remove heavy metals from water, soften water and free it from harmful organic substances. LANXESS is one of the world’s leading suppliers of ion exchange resins and operates production facilities for these in Leverkusen and Bitterfeld in Germany and Jhagadia in India.

Membrane technology
In 2011 a new membrane production plant will be inaugurated at the Bitterfeld site. LANXESS has invested around EUR 30 million in this pioneering technology. Membrane technology is especially effective for applications where ion exchange resins cannot be used. For example, it enables herbicides, viruses and bacteria to be filtered from the water. The chemical composition and structure of the membranes form a selective barrier, allowing certain substances to pass through while holding others back.