Water Chemistry 1

Unit-1b Water and its treatment
Hardness: Water which does not produce lather with soap solution readily, but forms a
white scum (mass) is called hard water. The soap consuming capacity of water is called hard
water.
Hard water consumes a lot of soap: This is due to the presence of salts of metal ions like Ca2+,
Mg2+, Al3+, Fe3+, Mn2+ dissolved in water. Such metal salts react with soap (sodium or potassium
salt of higher fatty acid like oleic acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid) to form insoluble white scum.
Chemical reaction: CaCl2 + 2C17H35COONa (C17H35COO)2Ca + 2NaCl

MgSO4 + 2C17H35COONa (C17H35COO)2Mg + Na2SO4
Difference between hard water and soft water:

S.No Hard Water Soft water
1 Water which does not produce lather with Water which easily lathers with soap
soap solution readily but forms a white scum solution is called soft water
is called hard water
2 The presence of calcium and magnesium The absence of calcium and magnesium
salts in water forms hard water salts in water leads to soft water
3 Hard water causes wastage of soap due to Soft water lathers easily and does not
depressed cleansing and detergent action result in wastage of soap.
Presence of calcium and magnesium salts It also does not result in wastage of fuel
results in elevated boiling point of water; and time during cooking due to absence
thus more fuel and time are required for of calcium and magnesium salts.
cooking
Classification of hard water:

Hardness is of two types:
1. Temporary hardness: This type of hardness is caused by the presence of dissolved
bicarbonates of calcium and magnesium and other heavy metals and the carbonate of
iron.
Thus the salts responsible for temporary hardness are Ca(HCO 3)2 and Mg(HCO3)2. It is
also known as carbonate hardness or alkaline hardness. Alkaline hardness is due to
presence of bicarbonate, carbonate and hydroxides of the hardness producing metal ions.
Temporary hardness can be removed by boiling of water when bicarbonates are
decomposed yielding insoluble carbonates or hydroxides which are deposited as a crust at
the bottom of the vessel.
Ca(HCO3)2 CaCO3 + CO2 + H2O
Mg(HCO3)2 Mg(OH)2 + 2CO2
2. Permanent hardness: It is due to the presence of dissolved chlorides and sulphates of

calcium and magnesium, iron and other heavy metals. Hence the salts responsible for
permanent hardness of water are CaCl2, MgCl2, CaSO4, MgSO4, FeSO4, Al2(SO4)3 etc.
Permanent hardness cannot be removed by boiling. It is also known as non-carbonate or
non-alkaline hardness. It can be removed by following processes:
Compiled by Dr ARUNIMA NAYAK & Dr BRIJ BHUSHAN Page 1

Unit-1b Water and its treatment
(i) Lime-soda process:

(ii) Zeolite process:
(iii) Ion-exchange process
(iv) Reverse Osmosis
3. Total hardness: Temporary hardness + Permanent hardness
Advantages and disadvantages of hard water:

S.No Advantages of hard water Disadvantages of hard water
1 Hard water tastes better. The dissolved Hard water produces scum with soap.
calcium in water is beneficial for stronger Washing and detergent efficiency of soap
bones and teeth in children. decreases and the economy decreases.
Cooking with Hard water results in more fuel
consumption and more time consumption
due to elevated boiling point of hard water.
Degree of hardness
Hardness of water is expressed in equivalents amounts of CaCO3 because it forms the insoluble
precipitate which can be removed easily in water treatment and also because its molecular mass
is 100 (which makes calculations easier).
Equivalent of CaCO3 (mg/L) or (ppm) =
(Strength of hardness producing substance mg/L)x (Molecular weight of CaCO3/2)

Molecular weight of substance/2
Units of Hardness:
i. Part per million (ppm) It is defines as the number of parts by weight of calcium
carbonate (CaCO3) present per million (106) parts by weight of water.
1 ppm= 1 part of CaCO3 equivalents hardness in (106) parts of water
ii. Milligrams per litre (mg/L). It is defines as the number of milligrams of CaCO3 present
in one litre of water.
1 ppm= 1mg/L
iii. Degree Clarke (oCl). It is defines as the parts of CaCO3equivalen hardness per 70,000
parts of water.
oCl = 1 part of CaCO per 70000 parts of water
3
iv. Degree French ( Fr). It is defines as the parts of CaCO3 equivalent hardness per 105
o
parts of water.
oFr = 1 part of CaCO per 105 parts of water
3
Relationship between various units of hardness:

1ppm = 0.1°Fr = 0.07°Cl = 1mg/L
Compiled by Dr ARUNIMA NAYAK & Dr BRIJ BHUSHAN Page 2

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Unit-1b Water and its treatment

Chemical reaction: CaCl2 + 2C17H35COONa (C17H35COO)2Ca + 2NaCl

Difference between hard water and soft water:

Classification of hard water:

Ca(HCO3)2 CaCO3 + CO2 + H2O

Mg(HCO3)2 Mg(OH)2 + 2CO2

2. Permanent hardness: It is due to the presence of dissolved chlorides and sulphates of

Compiled by Dr ARUNIMA NAYAK & Dr BRIJ BHUSHAN Page 1

(i) Lime-soda process:

3. Total hardness: Temporary hardness + Permanent hardness

Advantages and disadvantages of hard water:

Equivalent of CaCO3 (mg/L) or (ppm) =

(Strength of hardness producing substance mg/L)x (Molecular weight of CaCO3/2)

Relationship between various units of hardness:

Compiled by Dr ARUNIMA NAYAK & Dr BRIJ BHUSHAN Page 2

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