Water Softening

Methods

Methods
Lime

Soda Process
Zeolite Process

9/26/201
5

Lime Soda Process

Lime Soda process is a method of softening hard water.

This process is now obsolete but was very useful for the
treatment of large volumes of hard water.

In this process Calcium and Magnesium ions are

precipitated by the addition of lime (Ca(OH)2) and soda
ash (Na2CO3).

What is Lime Soda Process?

Standard water-softening process.
Carried out either hot or cold.
Uses lime (Ca(OH)2) and soda ash (Na2CO3) to reduce
the hardness of the treated water by precipitating the
dissolved calcium and magnesium salts
as insoluble calcium carbonate and magnesium hydroxide
respectively.
Also used in the preparation of caustic soda (NaOH), by
mixing slaked lime (Ca(OH)2) with soda and filtering off the
precipitated calcium carbonate (CaCO3).

9/26/2015

Hot and Cold Lime Soda

Process

9/26/2015

Chemistry of Soda Lime Process

As slacked lime is added to a water, it will react with any
carbon dioxide present as follows:

Ca(OH)2 + CO2 CaCO3 +H2O (Eq. 1)

The lime will react with carbonate hardness as follows:

Ca(OH)2 + Ca(HCO3 )2 2CaCO3 +2H2O (Eq. 2)

Ca(OH)2 + Mg(HCO3 )2 MgCO3 + CaCO3 +2H2O
(Eq. 3)
6

9/26/2015

Chemistry of Soda Lime Process

The product magnesium carbonate is soluble. To remove
it, more lime is added:

Ca(OH)2 + MgCO3 CaCO3 +Mg(OH)2 (Eq. 4)

Also, magnesium non-carbonate hardness, such as
magnesium sulfate, is removed:

Ca(OH)2 + MgSO4 CaSO4 + Mg(OH)2 (Eq. 5)

9/26/2015

Chemistry of Lime Soda Process

Lime addition removes only magnesium hardness and calcium
carbonate hardness. In equation 5 magnesium is precipitated,
however, an equivalent amount of calcium is added. The water
now contains the original calcium non-carbonate hardness and
the calcium non-carbonate hardness produced in equation 5.
Soda ash is added to remove calcium non-carbonate hardness:

Na2CO3 + CaSO4 Na2SO4 + CaCO3 (Eq. 6)

To precipitate CaCO3 requires a pH of about 9.5;
and to precipitate Mg(OH)2 requires a pH of
about 10.8, therefore, an excess lime of about 1.25
meq/L is required to raise the pH.

9/26/2015

Chemistry of Lime Soda Process

The amount of lime required in (meq/L) = carbon dioxide

(meq/L) + carbonate hardness (meq/L) + magnesium ion
(meq/L) + 1.25 (meq/L)

The amount of soda ash required in (meq/L) = noncarbonate hardness (meq/L).

After softening, the water will have high pH and contain

the excess lime and the magnesium hydroxide and the
calcium carbonate that did not precipitate.
9

9/26/2015

Chemistry of Lime Soda Process

Recarbonation (adding carbon dioxide) is used to stabilize

the water. The excess lime and magnesium hydroxide are
stabilized by adding carbon dioxide, which also reduces
pH from 10.8 to 9.5:
CO2 + Ca(OH)2 CaCO3 +H2O

CO2 + Mg(OH)2 MgCO3 + H2O

Further recarbonation, will bring the pH to about 8.5 and
stabilize the calcium carbonate as the following:
CO2 + CaCO3 + H2OCa(HCO3)2
10

9/26/2015

11

Chemistry of Lime Soda

Process
However, it is important to note that it is not possible to
remove all of the hardness from water.
In actual practice, about 50 to 80 mg/L will remain as
a residual hardness.

9/26/2015

9/26/201
5

12

Limitations of Lime Soda Process

Lime soda softening cannot produce a water at

completely free of hardness because of minute solubility
of CaCO3 and Mg(OH)2.

Thus the minimum calcium hardness can be achieved is

about 30 mg/L as CaCO3, and the magnesium hardness is
about 10 mg/L as CaCO3.

We normally tolerate a final total hardness on the order

of 75 to 120 mg/L as CaCO3, but the magnesium content
should not exceed 40 mg/L as CaCO3.

14

9/26/2015

Zeolite Process
Zeolites

Naturally occurring hydrated, microporous, sodium

aluminosilicate minerals

General formula Na2O. Al2O3 . xSiO2 yH2O

Zeolites are Capable of exchanging their Na+ ions
with hardness producing ions like Ca2+, Mg2+
present in water
9/26/2015

15

 Natural zeolites are non-porous, e.g. Natrolite, Na2O.

Al2O3 . 3SiO2 2H2O
Synthetic zeolites
structure.

are porous and have a gel

Can be prepared by heating together sod. Carbonate

(Na2CO3 ), alumina (Al2O3) and silica (SiO2)

Synthetic zeolites have higher ion exchange capacity

than Natural Zeolites

1
6

Structure of Zeolite

Zeolite crystal consists of SiO4 tetrahedra

joined to each other and each Oxygen is
being shared with an adjacent one.
Has an open structure with cavities in
which Na+ ions are loosely held and can
be exchanged with hardness producing
ions of water during softening.

Microporous
molecular structure
of a zeolite

1
7

Process of water treatment

Hard water is passed at a specific rate through a bed of
zeolite in a cylindrical unit.
As hard water percolates through zeolite, the hardness
producing ions i.e. Ca2+, Mg2+ are exchanged with Na+ ions of
zeolite
A zeolite with general formula Na2O.Al2O3.xSiO2yH2O is
conveniently represented as Na2Z where Z represents
aluminosilicate complex

1
8

Removal of Ca2+, Mg2+ ions from hard

water

Regeneration of Exhausted Zeolite

9/26/2015

2
0

Advantages of Zeolite Process

1. Hardness of water is removed almost completely and softened
water of about 10 ppm is obtained
2. The process requires much less time for completion and operation is
quite clean
3. The equipments used is compact and can be installed in a limited space
4. No impurities are precipitated so there is no danger of sludge formation in
the treated water at later stage
5. The process automatically adjusts itself for variation in hardness of
incoming water

6. Maintenance and operation is easy and requires less skills.

2
1

Disadvantages of Zeolite
Process
1. Water containing impurities of mineral acids can destroy the
Zeolite Bed. So mineral acids must be neutralized before
feeding water into Zeolite bed
2. Turbid water blocks the pores of zeolite bed and decreases
the efficiency- Turbidity & suspended matter must be
removed before feeding
3. Water should not be hot- (Dissolves Zeolites)
4. Cations Ca2+, Mg2+ are removed but sulphates, bicarbonates
and chlorides are not removed.