|
| Scientist name/source | Breakthrough in field of ion exchange | Year |
|
| Bible | Moses experiments water debitteri. | ~1400 BC |
| Aristotle | Aristotle finds that sea water loses part of its salt contents when percolated through certain sand. | ~330 BC |
| H. S. Thompson | Thompson passed a solution of manure through a filter made of ordinary garden soil and found that the ammonia was removed from solution. | 1845 |
H. S. Thompson and J. T. Way
J. Spence | Recognition of the phenomenon of ion exchange and a description of its basic characteristics.
The ion exchange property of soils was found to be based on their containing small amounts of zeolites. | 1848–1852 |
| H. Eichorn | Proved that the adsorption of ions by clays and zeolites constitutes a reversible reaction. | 1858 |
| J. Lemberg | Zeolites recognized as carriers of base exchange in soils; equivalence of exchange of bases proved. | 1876 |
| F. Harm, A. Rumpher, S. Mayert, and K. Halse | Artificial zeolites used for removal of potassium from sugar juices. First synthetic industrial ion exchanger. Manufacture of sulphonated coals and suggestion for the removal of potassium from sugar juices. | 1901–1902 |
| R. Gans | Discovered that the zeolites could be used to soften hard water. He also invented processes for synthesizing zeolites and designed the equipment—the zeolite water softner used for the recovery of gold from sea water. | 1905 |
| O. Folin, R. Bell | The first analytical application of ion exchange. | 1917 |
| J. Whitehorn | The first use of ion exchange in column chromatography. | 1923 |
| A. Bahrdt | The first use of ion exchange column for anion analysis. | 1927 |
| O. Leibknecht | The entirely new types of cation exchangers were developed. Not only could they be used in the sodium cycle when regenerated with salt, but also in the hydrogen cycle when regenerated with an acid. One group of these cation exchangers was the carbonaceous type, which was made by the sulphonation of coal. | 1934–1939 |
| B. A. Adams and E. L. Holmes | Synthesis of the first organic ion exchanger. | 1934–1935 |
| G.F. D’alelio | Invention of sulphonated polystyrene polymerization cation exchangers. | 1942 |
| G. E. Boyd, J. Schubert, and A. W. Adamson | Demonstration of the applicability of ion exchange for adsorption of fission products in traced amounts. | 1942 |
| C. H. Mcburney | Invention of aminated polystyrene polymerization anion exchangers. | 1947 |
| A. Skogseid | Preparation of potassium-specific polystyrene cation—exchanger chelating resin. | 1947 |
| J. A. Marinsky, L. E. Glendenin, and C. D. Coryell | The discovery of promethium, an element found in nature, is attributed to ion exchange. | 1947 |
| D. K. Hale, D. Reiechenberg, N. E. Topp, and C. G. Thomas | Development of carboxylic addition polymers as weak acid cation exchangers. | 1949–1956 |
| R. M. Barrer and D. W. Breck | New zeolites as molecular sieves with ion exchange properties. | 1951–1956 |
| H. P. Gregor, K. W. Pepper, and L. R. Morris | Invention and development of chelating polymers. | 1952–1971 |
| M. A. Peterson, H. A. Sober | Development of cellulose ion exchangers. | 1956 |
| F. Helfferich | Foundation laid for the new theoretical treatment of ion exchange. | 1959 |
| T. R. E. Kressmann and J. R. Millar | Invention and development of isoporous ion exchange resins. | 1960 |
| J. Weiss | Thermally regenerable ion-exchange and water desalination based on them. | 1964 |
|
