Ion Exchange Resin: Breakthrough Curve & Regeneration

Water softening runs on a simple swap: a sulfonated cation-exchange resin holds sodium ions loosely enough that calcium and magnesium — the ions that make water "hard" — displace them as feed water percolates down through the bed. This simulator renders that packed resin column in 3D, colouring thousands of beads by how much of their capacity is spent as a real mass-transfer zone travels from inlet to outlet. Live readouts and a breakthrough-curve plot are driven by the Thomas model, the standard equation used to size and schedule real softening columns, and a Regenerate control lets you flush the exhausted bed with concentrated NaCl brine to reverse the exchange and start a fresh service cycle — exactly how an automatic water softener recharges itself.