When talking about whey proteins, the term ion exchange is common, but what does it really mean?
Ion Exchange is one method used to produce protein supplements. According to information from Optimum Nutrition, this is a process that separates proteins on the basis of their electrical charge. Various solvents are used to create an attractive charge on the proteins, which causes these proteins to migrate toward oppositely charged resin beads in the reaction vessel. The protein can be later removed from the resin beads by reversing the charge to result in a highly purified Whey Protein Isolate. Ion Exchange is only one method used to produce these protein isolates.
