Analysis of Calcium Carbonate Scales in Water Distribution Systems and Influence of the Electromagnetic Treatment

The formation of calcium carbonate scale in pipes and devices in water supply networks poses serious problems. Electromagnetic treatment (EMT) is a technology that can prevent the formation of these scales without the need to add chemical reagents, reducing maintenance costs in the installations. In...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inWater (Basel) Vol. 16; no. 11; p. 1554
Main Authors Boluda-Botella, Nuria, Saquete, María Dolores, Martínez-Moya, Sergio, Morales-Paredes, Carlos Augusto, Rodríguez-Díaz, Joan Manuel
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Basel MDPI AG 01.06.2024
Subjects
aragonite
calcite
Calcite crystals
Calcium carbonate
calcium carbonate scales
Crystals
electromagnetic treatment
Electromagnetism
Microscopy
Natural resources
Nitrates
Reagents
Spain
Temperature
Water
water distribution systems
Spain
United States > US
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Summary:The formation of calcium carbonate scale in pipes and devices in water supply networks poses serious problems. Electromagnetic treatment (EMT) is a technology that can prevent the formation of these scales without the need to add chemical reagents, reducing maintenance costs in the installations. In this work, the types of crystals commonly found in water distribution systems are studied, with emphasis on the different techniques that allow their characterization (TGA, XRD, SEM), and the effects that EMT produces on their morphology. Laboratory trials have been carried out with synthetic water prepared from a calcium carbonate solution to study the crystals obtained at different temperatures, with and without EMT. High temperatures cause the production of aragonite instead of the stable form (calcite), as was observed in the samples from the heater resistors. In contrast, in the samples taken in lower temperature zones, a majority presence of calcite was observed. These results have been corroborated with a laboratory-scale evaporation trial, obtaining an increase in the aragonite/calcite ratio with increasing temperature and with the treatment applied, generating crystalline phases that exceed 70% aragonite (needle shape). It is highlighted that the EMT limits the reversion of aragonite to calcite and decreases the formation of scale.
ISSN:2073-4441
2073-4441
DOI:10.3390/w16111554