text: how can you separate the homogenous mixture of sugar and salt? scientific methods please!! are there certain chemicals? or certain catalysts? traditionally, salt is removed  from sugar containing solutions by passing the syrup through  columns packed with ion-exchange resin beads. the beads bind the na and cl ions and the effluent passing through will be the sugar water solution. if you wasn to recover the na or the cl ions then the beeds are rinsed with either a strong acid or base and quantitave recoveries can be made.