INDUSTRIAL WATER SOFTENERS

The correct mineral balance of incoming water to industrial systems is critical to the proper operation and maintenance of costly equipment. It is also critical to deliver a consistent finished product. To allow the industrial process to continue, industrial water softeners remove excess minerals such as calcium and magnesium to a specified and monitored level.

The process of industrial water purification and softening converts unfit for industrial use water into water that is free of sediment and contaminants and has the proper pH balance.

The industrial water softening system necessitates that the incoming water passes through a porous resin bed. This resin has the look and feel of tiny plastic beads. These fine beads have been designed and treated in such a way that each tiny bead is extremely porous. The surface area is also chemically altered indefinitely to make it highly attractive to the offending minerals.

Differentiate between Industrial and Municipal Water Softener?

There are two types of ion exchange options for industrial and municipal water softening: Cation softening and anion softening. The fundamental difference is that when softening water, Cation exchange materials only react with positively charged ions, whereas Anion exchange materials only react with negatively charged ions. Cation ion exchange water softening works by exchanging calcium, magnesium, manganese, and iron ions for sodium. Lime softening of industrial or municipal water entails dissolving lime-soda in water, allowing the resulting sludge to settle, and then drawing off the clear, softened water. Using hot water produces the best results.

ADVANTAGES

Each water softening technique has its own set of advantages. They range from lower capital and operational costs, ease of use, and minimal staff requirements to safer handling in the case of ion exchange (salt is the only additive in this method).

Benefits of lime softening include additional water treatment beyond hardness (suspended matter is also removed, and alkalinity and silica are reduced). If the volume of water is large, operational costs can be reduced.

DISADVANATGES

Ion exchange will only remove ions that cause hard water, so if other unwanted materials must be removed, another process must be used. Brine from the exchange process can be difficult to properly dispose of in some areas.

Lime-soda softening does not eliminate all hardness from water; rather, it reduces the amount. This method also necessitates full-time, specially trained personnel to operate equipment, which adds significantly to the operational costs of industrial and municipal water systems. Material handling is risky because the chemicals required are more dangerous than salt.

BOTTOM LINE

There are a few deciding factors to consider when deciding on the best path for your industrial or municipal water softening system:

· The first question is how much water will have to be treated per day. Ion exchange will have the lowest initial capital investment and operating costs for the majority of applications. Lime soda softening, on the other hand, can be more cost effective for large applications.

· A second consideration for water softening is what needs to be addressed (just hardness, or also other particulate matter?).

· The final factor to consider is staff capabilities. Do you have enough employees to run a lime softening plant?