Engineering Chemistry and Environmental Studies

UNIT VII

7. Water Technology
1) Write types of water ?
Types of water:
The water is classified into two types.
These are

1) Soft water
2) Hard water

1) Soft water:
The water which produces lather easily with soap is called Soft water.
Soap is a Na (or) K salt of fatty acids like stearic acid, palmitic acid and oleic acid.
When soap is added to soft water, it ionizes into anion of fatty acids and Na+.
This anion involves in the cleaning action. So lather form easily.
H2O
C17 H35 COONa

C17 H35 COO- + Na +

2) Hard water:
The water which does not produce lather easily with soap is called hard water.
2) Write causes of Hardness?
Causes of Hardness:
The lather preventing property of soap with water is called hardness.
The hardness of water is due to the presence of dissolved salts like bicarbonates, chlorides and
sulphates of calcium and magnesium.
When soap is treated with hard water a white erudy insoluble calcium or magnesium salt of fatty
acid is formed.
C17 H35 COONa + Mg+2
Sodium Stearate
C17 H35 COONa + Ca+2
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(C17 H35 COO)2 Mg

+ 2 Na+

Magnesium Stearate
(C17 H35 COO)2 Ca
1

+ 2 Na+
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Engineering Chemistry and Environmental Studies

UNIT VII

Sodium Stearate

Calcium Stearate

3) Write about Types of Hardness?

Types of Hardness:
Hardness of water is two types
1) Temporary Hardness (or) Carbonate Hardness
2) Permanent Hardness (or) Non Carbonate Hardness.
1) Temporary Hardness (or) Carbonate Hardness:
The hardness causes due to the presence of dissolved bicarbonates of Ca and Mg is called
Temporary hardness.
Eg:

Mg (HCO3)2
Ca (HCO3)2

2) Permanent Hardness (or) Non Carbonate Hardness:

The hardness causes due to the presence of chlorides and sulphates of Ca and Mg is called
permanent Hardness.
CaCl2 Calcium Chloride

CaSO4 Calcium Sulphate

MgCl2 Magnesium Chloride

MgSO4 Magnesium Sulphate.

4) Write disadvantages of using hard water?

Disadvantages of using hard water:
Hard water is not suitable for domestic and industrial use.
The following are the disadvantages of using hard water.
1) Laundry:
Hard water, when used for washing purpose, does not produce lather easily.
This causes the wastage of soap and clothes do not become quite clean.
2) Textile industry:
When hard water is used in textile industry, prevent the formation of exact shades of
colors in dyeing.
3) Sugar industry:
Hard water is used in sugar industry, causes difficulty in the crystallization of sugar.
4) Paper industry:
If hard water is used in paper industry, spoils the quality of paper.
5) Boilers:
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Lecturer in Chemistry

Water Technology

Engineering Chemistry and Environmental Studies

UNIT VII

If the hard water is used in the boilers.

The disadvantages are:
a) Wastage of fuel.
b) Corrosion of boiler.
c) Decrease the efficiency of boiler.
6) Concrete making:
If hard water is used for concrete making effects the hydration of cement and final
strength of the hardened concrete.
7) Pharmaceutical industry:
If the hard water used in the preparation of drugs, injections etc may produce undesirable
products.
5) What is degree of Hardness?
The amount of hardness producing salts present in definite quantity of water is called Degree of
Hardness.
Degree of hardness of water is expressed in terms of equivalent of CaCO3
CaCO3 molecular weight is 100.
Hardness of water interms of CaCO3 equivalents

Weight of the salt

100
Gmw of the salt

Softening methods of Hard water:

6) Explain the removal of temporary hardness?
1) Removal of temporary hardness:
It is removed by the following methods
a) Boiling method:
Whenever water is boiled, the bicarbonates of Ca and Mg decompose to form insoluble
carbonates, which is removed by filtration method.

Ca (HCO3)2

Mg (HCO3)2

Ca CO3

Mg CO3

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Lecturer in Chemistry

+ CO2 + H2 O

+ CO2 + H2 O
3

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Engineering Chemistry and Environmental Studies

UNIT VII

b) Clarks Method:
In this method, calculated amount of slaked lime ( Ca (OH)2) is added to hard water.
The bicarbonates of Ca and Mg react with lime and form insoluble carbonates, which are
removed by filtration method.
2 Ca CO3 + 2 H2 O

Ca (HCO3)2 + Ca (OH)2
Mg (HCO3)2 + Mg (OH)2

Mg CO3

+ Ca CO + 2 H O
3
2

7) Explain the Removal of permanent Hardness?

2) Removal of permanent Hardness:
The permanent hardness of water can be removed by the following methods.
1) permutit (or) Zeolite method.
2) Ion exchange method.
8) Explain the Permutit (or) zeolite method with figure?
1) Permutit (or) zeolite method:
The naturally occurring sodium aluminum ortho silicate ( Na2 Al2Si2O8 . X H2 O) is called zeolite.
Permutit is an artificial zeolite.
Permutit (or) zeolite is denoted by Na2 Z.
Permutit is packed in a suitable container and hard water is passed through it.
Ca+2 and Mg+2 ions of hard water are replaced by Na+ ions, which do not causes hardness.
Thus water is softened.
Na2 Z + Ca SO4

Ca Z + Na2 SO4

Na2 Z + Ca Cl2

Ca Z + 2 Na Cl

Na2 Z + Mg SO4

Mg Z + Na2 SO4

Na2 Z + Mg Cl2

Mg Z + 2 Na Cl

Once Na2 Z is completely converted to Ca Z or Mg Z, it is exhausted regeneration is carried out

by passing 10% Na Cl solution.
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Lecturer in Chemistry

Water Technology

Engineering Chemistry and Environmental Studies

UNIT VII

Ca Z + 2 Na Cl

Na2 Z + Ca Cl2

Mg Z + 2 Na Cl

Na2 Z + Mg Cl2

9) Explain the Ionic Exchange process with figure?

Ionic Exchange process:
This is best method for softening the hard water.
All the cataions and anions present in the water are removed in this process.
In this method ion exchange resins are used.
The resins are cross linked organic polymers with micro porous structure.
10) What are Essential qualities of drinking water?
Essential qualities of drinking water:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

It should be colorless and odor less.

It should be free from micro organisms.
It should not contain toxic metals like Hg, Pb.
It should be free from impurities like mud.
It should not have harmful dissolved gases like H2S.
pH of water should be between 7 8
It should not have fluoride more than 2ppm.

11) Explain method of municipal treatment with figure?

Method of municipal treatment:
The municipal water treatment carried out in 3 steps.
1) Sedimentation
2) Filtration
3) Sterilization
1) Sedimentation:
The water from the source is pumped into sedimentation tanks and is allowed to stand
undisturbed for few hours.
To this water coagulants like alum [K2SO4 . Al2 (SO4)3. 24H2O], Ferrous sulphate [FeSO4 7H2O]
is added.
The suspended impurities settle down at the bottom due to force of gravity.
This process is called sedimentation.
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Lecturer in Chemistry

Water Technology

Engineering Chemistry and Environmental Studies

UNIT VII

2) Filtration:
The water from sedimentation tanks is passed over the filter bed.
The filter beds are made up of layers of coke, fine sand and gravel.
Coke absorbs the organic gases.
Sand and gravel act as filter and remove the remaining suspended impurities.
Cataions exchange resin consists acidic group like COOH and it is represented as R COOH
anion exchange resin consists basic groups like - OH and it is represented as R OH.
The two resins are fixed in two containers.
Hard water is first sent through the cataion exchanger, which exchanges the H+ with Ca+2 and
Mg+2.
2 R COOH + Ca+2

(R COO)2 Ca + 2 H+

2 R COOH + Mg+2

(R COO)2 Mg + 2 H+

Now the water is passed through anion exchanger, which exchanges the OH- with anions like Cl-,

SO 2
4
and HCO 3
R OH + Cl-

R Cl + OH-

2
2R OH + SO 4

R SO4 + 2 OH-

The H+ and OH- combine and form the water

H+ + OH-

H2O

After sometime, the resins are exhausted.

The exhausted acidic resin is regenerated by using acid.
(R COO )2 Ca + 2 HCl

2 R COOH + Ca Cl2

The exhausted basic resin is regenerated by using base.

R Cl + NaOH

R OH + Na Cl.

3) Sterilization:
The process of killing of harmful micro organisms is called sterilization.
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Lecturer in Chemistry

Water Technology

Engineering Chemistry and Environmental Studies

UNIT VII

The sterilization is carried out by chlorination.

Chlorination:
Cl2 reacts with water and form HCl and HOCl.
HOCl reacts nascent oxygen.
This nascent oxygen kills micro organism by oxidation.
Cl2 + H2 O
HOCl

HCl + HOCl
HCl + (O) nascent oxygen

Bacteria + (O)

Bacteria are killed

12) Define Osmosis?

Osmosis:
The process of transfer of solvent from dilute solution to a concentrated solution through a semi
permeable membrane is called osmosis.
Eg: Plants absorb water from the soil.
The ions or molecules of dissolved state cant move through the semi permeable membrane.
13) Define Reverse Osmosis?
Osmosis:
The process of transfer of solvent from a solution of higher concentration to a solution of lower
concentration through a semi permeable membrane.
By using reverse osmosis, water is separated from its contaminants (or) impurities.
This is called super filtration or hyper filtration.
Reverse osmosis is used to obtain drinking water from the sea water.
Semi permeable membrane consists of very thin films of cellulose acetate or poly anide polymer.
14) What are the advantages of Reverse Osmosis?
Advantage of Reverse Osmosis:
1) Removes all types of impurities.
Eg: Inorganic, organic, colloidal, ionic, non ionic.
2) Cheap and easy method.
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Lecturer in Chemistry

Water Technology

Engineering Chemistry and Environmental Studies

UNIT VII

3) Semi permeable membrane can be replaced within few minutes.

4) Sea water converted into drinking water.
5) This technique is used in dialysis, desalination etc.

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Lecturer in Chemistry

Water Technology

Engineering Chemistry and Environmental Studies

Prepared by V Naga Surendra Reddy

Lecturer in Chemistry

UNIT VII

Water Technology