An Attempt at Softening of Groundwater by Heterogeneous Crystallization in the Fluidized Bed Using Sodium Hydroxide

Hardness of water caused by calcium and magnesium salts does not pose any health risk to consumers However, harder water may not be widely accepted due to the build-up of scale deposits. Hence, hardness reduction becomes a critical factor of water usage comfort. Water hardness may be reduced via chemical or physical processes, such as ion exchange, membrane processes, stripping or crystallization. Potential application of heterogeneous crystallization to groundwater hardness reduction, including iron and manganese removal, was determined empirically at the pilot station with fluidized bed reactor of arenaceous quartz, serving as a nuclei of crystallization for calcium carbonate. Total hardness of groundwater was ranging from 160 to 166gCaCO(3)/m(3), the iron content - from 0.44 to 0.66gFe/m(3), while the manganese - from 0.16 to 0.23gMn/m(3). Sodium hydroxide (NaOH) was used for the purpose of water softening, at the amount close to the stoichiometric dose required for the calcium ion removal. Pilot studies on groundwater softening using the heterogeneous crystallization with sodium hydroxide revealed a possibility to reduce the total water hardness by 40% at the half stoichiometric point. Selective calcium ion removal was demonstrated with relatively small reduction in magnesium content. Iron and manganese cations were co-removed. A comparative analysis of heterogeneous crystallization and nanofiltration confirmed suitability of the both processes for hardness reduction of water entering the distribution system and elimination of its adverse effects.