2 A
2 A
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Module 2: Water Treatment
3. Desalination
It is a process in which Lime (Ca(OH)2) and soda (Na2CO3) are added to the hard
water to convert the soluble calcium and magnesium salts to insoluble compounds by
a chemical reaction. The CaCO3 and Mg(OH)2 so precipitated are filtered off and
removed easily.
4
1a. Cold Lime Soda Process
Step 1
In this process a calculated quantity of Ca(OH)2 (lime) and Na2CO3 (soda) are
mixed with water at room temperature and added to the hard water. The following
reactions takes place depending on the nature of hardness
Chemical reactions
5
Chemical reactions contd..
Step 2
The precipitates CaCO3 and Mg(OH)2 are very fine and forms sludge like
precipitates in the boiler water and are difficult to remove because it does not
settle easily making it difficult to filter and the removal process. Finally reduces
the efficiency of the boiler.
NOTE: Particles finer than 0.1 µm (10-7m) in water remain continuously in motion due to electrostatic charge
(often negative) which causes them to repel each other. Once their electrostatic charge is neutralized by the use of
coagulant chemical, the finer particles start to collide and agglomerate (combine together) under the influence6 of
Van der Waals's forces. These larger and heavier particles are called flocs.
When coagulants are added flocculation takes place followed by the
formation of flocculants.
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Continuous cold lime soda softener
Chemicals
Hard water
(soda+lime
feed
+coagulant)
feed
Softened
water
Wood fiber
filter
Stirrer
paddles
1. The reaction between hardness producing substance and lime soda proceeds at a faster
rate
2. The precipitates and sludges formed are settled at the bottom easily and hence No
coagulants are required
3. The dissolved gases such as CO2 escapes and the water becomes free from dissolved
gases
4. It produces soft water with the residual hardness of 15-30ppm in contrast to the cold lime
soda process which produces soft water with 50-60ppm of residual hardness
Reaction tank
Soft water
Conical sedimentation
tank
Precipitated sludge
(CaCO3, Mg(OH)2 Sludge
outlet
Filtered soft
water
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Advantages of Lime soda process
Temp. Hardness
Ca(HCO3)2 Ca(HCO3)2 + Ca(OH)2 2CaCO3 + 2H2O L
Mg(HCO3)2 Mg(HCO3)2 + 2Ca(OH)2 2CaCO3 + Mg(OH)2 + 2H2O 2L
Acids
HCl 2H+ + Ca(OH)2 Ca2+ + 2H2O L+S
H2SO4 Ca2+ + Na2CO3 CaCO3 + 2Na+
Calculation of lime and soda required for the softening of hard water by
the lime soda process 12
Reactions of Coagulants
Reaction of FeSO4
Fe2+ + Ca(OH)2 Fe(OH)2 + Ca2+ L + S
Fe(OH)2 + H2O + O2 2Fe(OH)3
Ca2+ + Na2CO3 CaCO3 + 2Na+
Reaction of Al2(SO4)3
2Al3+ + 3Ca(OH)2 2Al(OH)3 + 3Ca2+ L + S
3Ca2+ + 3Na2CO3 3CaCO3 + 6Na+
Reaction of NaAlO2
NaAlO2 + 2H2O Al(OH)3 + NaOH -L
13
Dissolved Salt/ion Molar Mass MF for eq. CaCO3
Ca(HCO3)2 162 100/162
Mg(HCO3)2 146 100/146
CaSO4 136 100/136
MgSO4 120 100/120
MgCl2 95 100/95
MgCO3 84 100/84
CO2 44 100/44
Ca(NO3)2 164 100/164
Mg(NO3)2 148 100/148
HCO3- 61 100/(61x2) 100/122
OH- 17 100/(17x2) 100/34
CO32- 60 100/60
NaAlO2 82 100/(82x2) 100/164
Al2(SO4)3 342 100/(342/3) 100/114
FeSO4.7H2O 278 100/278
H+ 1 100/(1x2) 100/2
HCl 36.5 100/(36.5x2) 100/73
Rules to be followed
Rules
1. If Ca(HCO3)2 and Mg(HCO3)2 are considered as ions (Ca2+ + 2HCO3-) and (Mg2+ + 2HCO3-)
respectively then the calculation result will be the same based on the ability of the ions to
take up bicarbonate ions
2. If treated water found to contain excess of OH- and CO32- ions these are formed from excess
equivalent each of Ca(OH)2 and Na2CO3 and hence these excess amounts should be added
to the calculation (in temp. hardness and perm. hardness)
3. When the impurities are given as CaCO3 and MgCO3 present in water it should be
considered as due to bicarbonates of calcium and magnesium respectively
4. Substances like NaCl, KCl, Na2SO4, SiO2, Fe2O3 etc do not contribute to hardness and
therefore, they do not consume any soda or lime and hence if these present need not be
taken in to consideration during calculation.
5. Soda (Na2CO3) neutralizes only permanent hardness
= 106 P.H of (Ca2+ + Mg2+ + Fe2+ + Al3+) + H+ - HCO3- X Vol .of water (L)
100
X (% of purity)
Solution
Solution
Lime required = 74/100 ( {2 x MgCO3} + CaCO3 + MgCl2 in terms of CaCO3 eq) x vol. of water
soda required = 106/100 ( MgCl2 + CaCl2 in terms of CaCO3 eq) x vol. of water
Attention: Please refer more examples given in the text books (Jain and
Jain) which may contain more critical parameters like coagulants, acids and
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carbonate ions involvement.
Calculate the quantity of lime and soda required for
softening 50,000 litre of water containing the
following salt per litre Ca(HCO3) 2 = 8.1 mg/L ;
Mg(HCO3)2 = 7.5 mg/L ; CaSO4 = 13.6 mg/L ;
MgSO4 = 12.0 mg/L ; MgCl2 = 2.0 mg/L ; and NaCl =
4.7 mg/L.
Mg: 24, Ca:40, S:32, Na: 23, Fe:56, Cl:35.5
Constituent Multiplication CaCO3 equivalent
factor
Ca(HCO3)2 = 8.1 mg/L 100/162 8.1 × 100/162 = 5.0 mg/L
Natrolite
Artificial Zeolite
Used for softening purpose. These are porous and
glassy and have greater softening capacity. They
are prepared by heating together with china clay,
feldspar and soda ash.
China clay
Zeolite softener
Hard water in
Zeolite bed
Gravel
Injector
Softened water
NaCl storage To
sink
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Process of softening by Zeolite method
For the purification of water by the zeolite softener, hard water is passed through the zeolite bed
at a specified rate. The hardness causing ions such as Ca2+, Mg2+ are retained by the zeolite bed
as CaZe and MgZe respectively; while the outgoing water contains sodium salts. The following
reactions takes place during softening process
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Limitations of Zeolite process
1. If the water is turbid ---- then the turbidity causing particles clogs the pores of the Zeolite
and makes it inactive
2. The ions such as Mn2+ and Fe2+ forms stable complex Zeolite which can not be regenerated
that easily
3. Any acid present in water (acidic water) should be neutralized with soda before admitting the
water to the plant
1. Soft water contains more sodium salts than in lime soda process
2. It replaces only Ca2+ and Mg2+ with Na+ but leaves all the other ions like HCO3- and CO32-
in the softened water (then it may form NaHCO3 and Na2CO3 which releases CO2 when
the water is boiled and causes corrosion)
3. It also causes caustic embitterment when sodium carbonate hydrolyses to give NaOH 31
32
Ion-Exchange Resin (or) Deionization (or) Demineralization Process
34
Structure of Cation and Anoin exchange resins
¯H SO3¯H
SO3 +
+
RH+ ROH-
SO3 ¯H SO3¯H
+
+
Hard
water
Gravel
Cation exchange Resin Anion exchange Resin bed
Injector
Injector
Acid
solution for Wastages to
regeneratio sink Alkaline solution for
n of resin Wastages to
regeneration of resin
sink
pump
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Soft water
H2O
37
Process of softening
H+ + OH- H2O
38
Regeneration of ion exchange resins
R2Ca2+ + 2H+ (dil. HCl (or) H2SO4) 2 RH+ + Ca2+ (CaCl2, washings)
Advantages
1. The process can be used to soften highly acidic or alkaline waters
2. It produces water of very low hardness of 2ppm. So the treated waters by
this method can be used in high pressure boilers
Disadvantages
1. The setup is costly and it uses costly chemicals
2. The water should not be turbid and the turbidity level should not be more
than 10ppm 39
Softening of Water by Mixed Ion Bed Deionizer
Description and process of mixed bed deionizer
1. It is a single cylindrical chamber containing a mixture of anion and cation exchange resins bed
2. When the hard water is passed through this bed slowly the cations and anions of the hard water
comes in to contact with the two kind of resins many number of times
3. Hence, it is equivalent to passing the hard water many number of times through a series of cation and
anion exchange resins.
4. The quality of water obtained from mixed bed is appreciably higher than the water produced from two
bed plants.
5. The soft water from this method contains less than 1ppm of dissolved salts and hence more suitable
for boilers
Hard water
c a c a Anion exchange
resin
c Mixed bed Mixed
a deionizer a resin bed
a
c a cc Cation exchange
resin
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Demineralised
The outgoing water from the mixed-bed contains even less than 1 ppm
of dissolved salts
41
Regeneration of Mixed Bed
NaOH wash
R
C
C C
C
RC R R
R C R
H2SO
R
C
R
C
C
R
C
R
C C
R
C
R
C
C C C
R
C
C C C R C C
RCC C C R
R
C
C R R R R
RCC
R
C
R
C
RR C R C RCC
R
C
R
C
R C R C
R
C
R
C
RR
R
C
R R R RR
R
Compressed Air
Back wash water
Forcing with
R
C
C C
C Compressed air
RC R
for mixing
R
C
R
R
R
C
R
C
C
C
R
C
R
C
R C C
C C R
R R
R
C
C C RCC
R
C
C R C
R
C
R
C
RCC
R
C
C R R RR
R
R
C
R RR
After wash it is regenerated
Regenerated Mix bed read for use
Regeneration:
The mixed bed is back washed by forcing water in the upward
direction. This separate the cation and anion exchanges from
the mixed bed. Being lighter the cation resin occupies upper
part and the denser on at the bottom.
Now they layers will be washed with NaOH and H2SO4
respectively to regenerate anion and cation exchange resins.
After regeneration again they are mixed by forcing compressed
air.
Generally soften water (eg RO, etc) will be further purified by this method
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Advantages & Disadvantages of ion-exchange
process
o Advantages:
- Can be used for highly acid and highly alkaline water
- Residual hardness of water is as low as 2 ppm.
- Very good for treating water for high pressure boilers
o Disadvantages:
- Expensive equipment and chemicals
- Turbidity of water should be < 10 ppm. Otherwise output will
reduce; turbidity needs to be coagulated before treatment.
- Needs skilled labour
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Specifications of different materials in drinking water (ICMR
and WHO)
S.No. Parameter/Material WHO Standards/ppm ICMR/BIS
Standards/ppm
1 Colour Clear Clear
2 Odour Pleasant Pleasant
3 Turbidity 2.5 2.5
4 pH 6.0 – 8.5 6.0 – 8.5
5 TDS 300 500
6 Total Hardness as 200 300
CaCO3
7 Calcium 75 75
8 Chlorides 200 200
9 Sulphates 200 200
10 Fluoride 0.5 1.0
11 Mercury 0.006 0.001
12 Cadmium 0.003 0.01
13 Arsenic 0.01 0.02
14 Chromium as hexavalent 0.01 0.1
15 Lead 0.01 0.01
16 E.Coli No colony Should be present No colony Should be
in 100 mL water present in 100 mL water