A process whereby a cation bound to a site on a surface is replaced by a cation from a solution. In both phyllosilicates and zeolites, the cation may be located on either external surfaces or internal surfaces; thus, the full process may involve cations from the interior that diffuse toward the surface, and are in turn replaced by cations from the solution which diffuse inward. The term differs from solid-state diffusion primarily by time scale, where cation exchange occurs relatively quickly and solid-state diffusion requires a much longer period.