I posted this on ReefCentral, I think it may help here also.
David
I finished my first recharge this afternoon. The di resin that was recharged was from Buckeye Field Supply, good folks by the way.
I would also like to mention that some information available on the web would have you believe that you must have a full body has mat suit to use the two chemicals needed to do this. It is safe if common sense is used. Most homes have had these chemicals to some extent in the cupboards below the sink. Acids like muriatic or hydrochloride are used to remove scale from showers and toilets. Lye has been used to clear drains and cut grease for years. Your grandparent may have used lye soap also. The muriatic acid is stronger than packaged bathroom cleaners. I did get small amounts on my skin and it felt like a mosquito bite, when I realized that it was not, I washed my hands and all was good. Some chlorine gas comes out of the bottle and when it is mixed, so don't sniff the bottle. I only mention this because those without common sense should not do this project.
The reason that I am posting this is because the information available on the process is for a Tap Water Purifier, TWP. The TWP, I believe to be similar but has a drain which most di canisters in our hobby do not. They also use carbon and have a spring, to take up empty space in the canister. Also the product Red Devil Lye is no longer marketed, which is used in the directions. You can find them here,
http://www.reefs.org/library/article/twp_recharge.html
First gather up the products needed. The chemicals can be found at Lowes, the tools at Wal-Mart. The Lye is found at Lowes in the pluming section. It is used for clearing drains and made by a company called Roebic, and is 100% sodium hydroxide (caustic soda), also known as lye, as mentioned on the back of the bottle. The muriatic acid is found in the paint department. The mixing bottles must hold 16 oz. of fluid. I got mine from a nut tray from Christmas. The two containers used to separate the resins came from Wal-Mart and hold 64 oz. each. I also used a fruit strainer, coffee filters, a stir stick, 5 oz. measuring cup (large shot glass), a 32 oz. tumbler, turkey baster and two 5 gallon buckets. I had enough resin to do a double batch; my instructions will be for a single batch so some of the tools will be mentioned singularly.
I am sorry I did not take any pics of the process so I will give my best shot at describing the process. I first put cold tap water in a
five gallon bucket, and filled another bucket with ro water. I then put 9 oz. of ro water in a16 oz. bottle, then added 3 fluid oz. of Lye. This stuff gets hot, but not so fast that it going to melt the bottle before you get it into a bucket of cold water. Put a lid on the bottle and make sure it is tight. The bottle will not expand, it will collapse a little, you can open it if it collapses too much. Wile the bottle of lye is cooling shake it to keep the stuff from solidifying on the bottom. Mine did a little but this did not mater. If this does happen after it is used put more water in the bottle and set it aside the solid stuff will dissolve. When the bottle of lye cools fill it with more ro water until the total volume is 12 oz.
Next fill the 32 oz. tumbler with 6 oz. of ro water and then add 6 oz. of acid. Set aside. If you are doing this out side then put the wind to your side or back, if you are doing this inside then use a fan to put the wind to you side or back. Do not breathe the gas from the Acid.
Put the di resin in the clear Rubbermaid container, then add the Lye solution, do this slowly and stir gently. In a few seconds you will see the resin began to separate. Use the turkey baster to remove the top layer of resin and put it in the second Rubbermaid container. As the top layer is removed from the first container you will start to see a gap between the bottom of the second container and the resin, if your gap in the first container is to low then use the baster and take the solution from the bottom of the second container and put it back into the first container. I had to do this so I did not start to pick up the lower layer of resin. When most, I say most, because you will never get all of the resin from the top of the first container into the second container, but do your best, then set the second container to the side and let the lye do its job for an hour.
Put a coffee filter in the fruit strainer and pore part of the first canister into the filter. You will not get all of the resin into the filter so do this in two batches, you will need to use a new filter each time you empty one. Run 1 gallon through each batch of resin from the first canister, then put it into a zip lock bag. When the last batch is rinsed put it all back into the first container. Add the acid solution into the container stirring gently. If you are regenerating
color changing resin you should see it turn from brown to a very dark blue or purple. Set this aside for about an hour.
By the way the floating resin is anion and the sinking resin is cation .
After both have sat for an hour then take the anion and drain it past a coffey filter, do this in two batches and run a gallon of ro water through each batch. When done draining from the water rinse then put in a zip lock bag.
Now take the cation and do the same as the anion. Empty the rinse water and acid into the same bucket as the anion's lye and rince water. The two will neutralize each other. You can empty the cation into the same bag as the anion. Mix each and fill the di canister.
I ran a gallon through the system and my tds meter was reading 0 so I felt this was enough.
The lye
The muriatic asid
The tools
he tools
