Lecture - 12
SOFTENING - II
Problem:
A water that is to be softened by lime-soda process has the following concentrations:
CO2 = 8.8 mg/L as CO2
Ca2+ = 70 mg/L
Mg2+ = 9.7 mg/L
Na+ = 6.9 mg/L
Alkalinity(Alk) = 115 mg/L as CaCO3
SO42- = 96 mg/L
Cl- = 10.6 mg/L
Solution:
Easiest method is to construct a table that converts all concentrations to equivalent concentrations,
and then to equivalents of CaCO3
Concentration(mg/L Molecular Equivalence(eq/molecule) Equivalent meq/L mg/L as CaCO3
) Weight(gm/mole) weight(gm/mol-eq)
CO2 8.8 44 2 22 8.8/22 = 0.4 0.4 x 50 = 20
Ca2+ 70 40 2 20 3.5 175
Mg2+ 9.7 24.4 2 12.2 0.8 39.8
Na+ 6.9 23 1 23 0.3 15
∑ = 4.6 ∑ = 229.8
Alk ( as 115 100 2 50 2.3 115
bicarbonate)
SO42- 96 96 2 48 2 100
Cl- 10.6 35.5 1 35.5 0.3 14.9
∑ = 4.6 ∑ = 229.9
2+ 2+
Total Hardness = Ca + Mg
= 175 + 39.8 = 214.8 mg/L as CaCO3
Carbonate Hardness = [Alk] = 115 mg/L as CaCO3
Non- Carbonate Hardness = TH- CH = 99.8 mg/L as CaCO3
Mg Non-carbonate Hardness = 39.8 mg/L as CaCO3
Lime required
For CO2 – 20 mg/L as CaCO3
For carbonate hardness – 115
For Mg non-carbonate hardness – 39.8 . Adding all, (20+ 115+ 39.8) = 174.8 mg/L as CaCO3
= (174.8/50) = 3.5 meq
CaO( Molecular Weight = 56, Equivalent Weight = 28)
Convert from CaCO3 to Cao,
𝐶𝑎𝑂 40+16 56 28
= = = = 0.56
𝐶𝑎𝐶𝑂3 40+12+3 𝑥 16 100 50
174.8 mg/L as CaCO3 = 97.9 mg/L as CaO ( 0.56 x 174.8)
Include excess lime of 35 mg/L or 35/28 = 1.25 meq/L
Required Lime = 97.9+35 = 133 mg/L
Soda Ash for non carbonate hardness
NCH = 99.8 mg/L as CaCO3 ( 2 meq)
(recall that Mg NCH was treated with lime but simply swaps Ca for Mg, so still needs treatment with soda ash)
Reqd. Soda Ash = 99.8 mg/L as CaCO3
Convert to Na2CO3
𝑁𝑎2𝐶𝑂3 2𝑥23+12+3𝑥16
= = 1.06
𝐶𝑎𝐶𝑂3 40+12+3𝑥16
Required Soda Ash = 1.06 x 99.8 = 106 mg/L
Ion Exchange
• Ion exchange involves replacing calcium and magnesium in the water with
another non-hardness cations, usually sodium.
• Early application of ion exchange used naturally occurring zeolite (sodium
alumino silicate). Now synthetic resins are using in practice.
Ca Ca
+ [anion] + 2Na[R] [R] + 2Na + [anion]
Mg Mg
• After ion exchange completion the resin should be
regenerated using addition of excess NaCl
Ca Ca
[R] + 2NaCl 2Cl + 2Na[R]
Mg Mg
• Factors affecting the capacity & efficiency:
Type of ion exchangers
Quality of water
Regeneration type and quantity
• Generally, capacity of ion exchanger: 15-100 Kg/m3
Flow rate : 40 L/min.m2
• Water is forced through the material under pressure at up to 0.4 m3/min.m2
Advantages:
It produces a softer water than chemical precipitation
Avoids the large quantity of sludge as in chemical precipitation
Apparatus is much smaller and simple to operate
Disadvantages:
Water must be turbidity free
Iron and manganese precipitated can also foul the surface, if oxidation occurs
Surface water need some primary treatment
Na+ + Anion Na+ + Anion Na+ + Anion Na+ + Anion
Resin with
Na+ +R
adsorbed
Active
exchange
resin
Ca2+ + Anion Ca2+ + Anion Ca2+ + Anion Ca2+ + Anion
Resin is a network of crosslinked hydrocarbons
attached to ionic groups.
The resins are prepared as spherical beads 0.5 to 1.0 mm in diameter.
REGENERATION
• Resin beads attract Ca+2 and Mg +2 ions and release Na+.
• Water has been softened because the Ca+2 and Mg +2
concentrations, which cause water hardness have been
reduced.
• After a vast number
of Ca+2 and Mg+2
ions have become
attached to the resin
beads, and most of the
Na+ ions have been
released, the resin can
no longer soften the
water.
• If no new chemical reaction is set, the incoming Ca+2 and
Mg+2 ions flow untouched through the unit because there is no
room for them on the resin beads.
• The reaction can be
reversed by greatly
increasing the
concentration of
sodium in the
solution.
• Reverse process
drive the Ca+2 and
Mg+2 ions off the
resin beads and
replace them with
Na+ ions.
• This process is called REGENERATION.
REGENERATION
• At appropriate time, the resin beads are washed with a strong
solution, also known as a BRINE SOLUTION.
• Although the resin beads prefer Ca+2 ions, theand Mg+2
excessive concentration of overcomes this affinity. Na+ ions
• The Ca+2 and Mg+2 are forced off of the resin beads and are
discharged to waste.
• The resin beads are ready to remove more Ca+2 and Mg+2 from
the water.
• The degree to which the resin is converted is dependent upon the
concentration of sodium in the brine.
The softening reaction is given as:
2RNa+ + Ca+2 RCa+2 + 2Na+
2RNa+ + Mg+2 RMg+2 + 2Na+
The reverse reaction is give as:
2RNa+ + Ca+2 RCa+2 + 2Na+ High Sodium
Concentration
2RNa+ + Mg+2 RMg+2 + 2Na+ High Sodium
Concentration
NOTE: R represents the resin macro-molecule.
Regeneration of resin is by
• HCl or H2SO4 if resin exchanges H+
• NaCl if resin exchanges Na+
• NaOH if resin exchanges OH-
• HCl if resin exchanges Cl-
Ion exchange is used extensively in both water
and wastewater treatment. Some of the common
applications are
1. water softening,
2. demineralization
3. desalting
4. ammonia removal
5. treatment of heavy metal wastewaters
6. treatment of some radioactive wastes.