Water tutorial sheet-2

1. How many grams of MgCl2 dissolved per litre will give hardness of 76 ppm?

Suppose A mg/L of MgCl2 gives 76 ppm of hardness

M. W. of MgCl2 = 95 g/mol
After applying the formula of hardness in equivalent of CaCO3
76 = A x 100/95
A = 76 x 95/100 = 72.2 mg/L= 0.072 g/L

2. A water sample contains 168 mg of MgCO3 per litre. Calculate hardness of the
sample in ppm and in grains/gallon.
Wt. of hardness causing substance i.e. MgCO3 = 168 mg/L
M. W of MgCO3 = 84
Hardness of water sample = 168 x 100/84 CaCO3 eq.
= 200 ppm
1 ppm = 0.07 grains/gallon or oC
200 ppm = 200 × 0.07 grains/gallon or oC
= 14 grains/gallon or oC

3. What role does “coagulants” play in lime soda process to remove hardness? Give
an example.
During cold “soda lime” process, the precipitates of CaCO3 and Mg(OH)2 are very
fine particles and forms sludge like precipitates those do not settle easily. Small
amount of coagulant is added which entraps the fine particles of CaCO3 and
Mg(OH)2), as a result particle of CaCO3 and Mg(OH)2) becomes heavy and settled
down at the bottom and filtered off easily.
Example of coagulants are: Alum, Aluminium sulfate, sodium aluminate etc.

4. Calculate the quantity of lime and soda required for softening 50,000 litres of
water containing the following salts per litre: Ca(HCO3)2 = 8.1 mg; Mg(HCO3)2
= 7.5 mg; CaSO4 = 13.6 mg; MgSO4 = 12.0 mg; MgCl2 =2.0 mg and NaCl = 4.7
mg.
Lime required for the salts are = Ca(HCO3), Mg(HCO3)2, MgCl2, MgSO4
Soda required for the salts are = CaSO4, MgCl2, MgCl2
Quantity of lime required for softening 1 liter of water is
= [Ca(HCO3) + 2 Mg(HCO3)2 +MgCl2 + MgSO4]
!" !"" !"" !"" !""
= #$$ [8.1 × !#$] + 2[7.5 × !#$] + [2 × #$
] + [12 × !#" ]

!"
= #$$ [5 +2 × (5.14) + 2.11 + 10]
!"
Quantity of lime required for softening 1 liter of water is = #$$ [27.39] mg/l
!"
Quantity of lime required for softening 50,000 liter of water is = #$$ × 27.39 × 50,000
= 1.0134 kg/l
!"#
Quantity of soda required for softening 1 liter of water is = !"" [CaSO4 + MgCl2 + MgCl2]
!"#
= !"" [5 + 10 + 2.11] mg/l
!"#
Quantity of soda required for softening 50,000 liter of water is = [17.11] × 50,000
!""
= 0.9068 kg/l
 Water tutorial sheet-2

5. A sample of water on analysis gave the following results: Ca2+ = 30 mg/L; Mg2+ =
18 mg/L; K+ = 19.5 mg/L; CO2 = 11 mg/L; HCO3- = 122 mg/L; Cl- =35.5 mg/L;
SO42- = 48 mg/L. Calculate total hardness and alkalinity present in water
sample..
!""
Ca2+ = 30 × #" = 75 mg/l
!""
Mg2+ = 18 × #$
= 75 mg/l
!""
CO2 = 11 × ##
= 25 mg/l
- !""
HCO3 = 122 × !## = 100 mg/l
Hardness causing substance are Ca2+ and Mg2+ only, Since K+ , CO2, HCO3-, Cl-
and SO42- do not cause any hardness
So Total hardness= (hardness due to Ca2+ + hardness due to Mg2+)
= 75+75= 150 ppm
Alkalinity causing ions available here HCO3- , however there is CO2 also available
which cause acidity so total alkalinity will be = HCO3- - CO2 = 100-25=75 ppm.

6. The carbonate alkalinity of water sample was found to be 75 ppm CaCO3

equivalent. After carrying out lime treatment, the alkalinity of water was found
to increase to 300 ppm CaCO3 equivalent. Calculate the excess amount of
Ca(OH)2 present in water after lime treatment. Express it in terms of mg/L of
Ca(OH)2.
Alkalinity of water due to carbonate = 75 ppm
Which increase to 300 ppm after adding lime so total increment due to lime is
300 - 75 = 225 ppm
Suppose A mg of lime increase 225 ppm alkalnity
225 = A x 100/74 CaCO3 eq.
A = 166.5 mg/L

7. Why calgon conditioning is better than phosphate conditioning?

In calgon conditioning, the added calgon forms soluble complex with hardness
causing ions which prevents the formation of scale and sludge in water.

Na2[Na4(PO3)6] à 2Na+ + [Na4P6O18]2-

2CaSO4 + [Na4P6O18]2- à [Ca2P6O18]2- + 2Na2SO4

Soluble complex
of calcium
This soluble complex does not cause any problem in boilers.
On the other hand, in phosphate conditioning, sodium phosphate is added to the boiler
water which forms the precipitates e.g.
3CaCl2 + 2 Na3PO4 àCa3(PO4)2 + 6 NaCl
precipitate of
calcium phosphate salt
Hence calgon conditioning is better than phosphate conditioning.
 Water tutorial sheet-2

8. Why water softened by zeolite process is unfit for use in boilers?

It replaces only Ca2+ and Mg2+ with Na+ but leaves all the other ions like HCO3- and
CO32- in the softened water. Those may form NaHCO3 and Na2CO3 whereas sodium
bicarbonate decomposes producing CO2 which causes corrosion, and sodium
carbonate hydrolysis to sodium hydroxide to cause caustic embrittlement.

9. The hardness of 25,000 litres of a sample of water was removed by passing it

through a zeolite softener. The softener then required 100 litres of NaCl solution,
containing 125 gm/L of NaCl for regeneration. Calculate the hardness of the
sample of water.
1 liters of NaCl solution contain 125 gm of NaCl
100 liters of NaCl solution contain= 100 x 125= 12500 g NaCl
In the equivalent of CaCO3 = 12500 x 50/58.5 g of CaCO3 eq.
= 10683.76 g of CaCO3 eq.
25000 L of sample water has hardness = 10683.76 g of CaCO3
1 L of sample water has hardness = 10683.76 / 25000 = 0.427 g/L
= 427 mg/L or ppm

10. A zeolite bed was exhausted after completely removing the total hardness of
10,000 L of hard water. The zeolite bed was regenerated using 8 L of NaCl
containing 150 gm/L of NaCl. Calculate the hardness of water.
1 liters of NaCl solution contain 150 gm of NaCl
8 liters of NaCl solution contain= 8 x 150= 1200 g NaCl
In the equivalent of CaCO3 = 1200 x 50/58.5 g of CaCO3 eq.
= 1025.64 g of CaCO3 eq.
10, 000 L of sample water has hardness = 1025.64 g of CaCO3
1 L of sample water has hardness = 1025.64 / 10,000 = 0.102 g/L
= 102 mg/L or ppm
11. After treating 10,000 L of water by ion exchanger, the cationic resin required
200 L of 0.1 N HCl and anionic resin required 200 L of 0.1 N NaOH solutions.
Find the hardness of the water sample.

Hardness of 10000 L of water = 200 L of 0.1 N HCl

= 200 L of 0.1 N CaCO3 eq.
= 20 L of 1 N CaCO3 eq.
= 20 × 50 g of CaCO3 eq.
= 1000 g CaCO3 eq.

Hardness in 1L in water = 1000 / 10,000 g of CaCO3

= 0.1 g/L of CaCO3 eq.
= 100 mg/L or ppm

12. In demineralization process, water is usually first passed through the cation-
exchanger and then through anion-exchanger. Why?

Demineralization process:
Reactions occurring at Cation exchange resin
2 R- H+ + Ca2+ (hard water) à R2Ca + 2 H+
2 R- H+ + Mg2+ (hard water) à R2Mg + 2 H+
 Water tutorial sheet-2

Reactions occurring at anion exchange resin

2 R+ OH- + SO42- (hard water) à R2SO4 + 2 OH-

R+ OH- + Cl- (hard water) à RCl + OH-

If water first pass through an anion exchanger all the cations will convert to
hydroxides e.g Ca(OH)2, Mg(OH)2. Because of hydroxide the water pH will be high
as a result hydroxide will be precipitated and block to the ion exchanger.

13. Why is demineralization process preferred over zeolite process for softening of
water for use in boilers?

Demineralized water is free from all ions (cations and anions); whereas zeolite
process for softening of water replaces only Ca2+ and Mg2+ with Na+ but leaves all the
other ions like HCO3- and CO32- in the softened water those form NaHCO3 and
Na2CO3 (sodium bicarbonate decomposes producing CO2, which causes corrosion
and sodium carbonate hydrolysis to sodium hydroxide which causes caustic
embrittlement). Therefore, demineralization process preferred over zeolite process for
softening of water for use in boilers.

14. Name the important discovery that has helped using the principle of reverse
osmosis for the purification of water on commercial scale.
The innovation in the membranes technology with small pore size has helped
principle of reverse osmosis to go on commercial scale. Although, a number of
membranes (like micro filtration, ultra filration and nano filtration) are available, it
the membrane of pore size 0.1 to 1.0 nm which used in reverse osmosis. This
particular membrane prevents even bacteria and viruses to be present in drinking
water.
15. Why commercial RO technique as available today is not recommended by
environmental agencies?
Commercial RO technique, as available today, wastes a tremendous amount of water
for making it drinkable. Also, reverse osmosis not only
removes harmful contaminants present in the water, but it also may strip many of the
good, healthy minerals from the water. Therefore, not recommended by
environmental agencies.