Difference between cation exchange resin, anion exchange resin and chelate ion exchange resin?

Cation exchange resins are used to remove positively charged ions (cations) like calcium and magnesium, making them ideal for applications such as water softening. Anion exchange resins target negatively charged ions (anions) such as chloride and sulfate, often used in demineralization processes. Chelating ion exchange resins have specialized functional groups that bind specific metal ions selectively, making them effective for applications requiring heavy metal removal, such as in wastewater treatment or metal recovery.These differences allow each resin type to be utilized in specific treatment processes depending on the ions present.