Effects of lime and aluminum in water purification

Water treatment requires many products chemists to carry out the purpose of the water is pure. The products take unwanted chemical substances from the water, destroy dangerous bacteria, help prevent cavities in teeth and keep the pipes free of corrosion of water. Two of many products chemicals used in the water purification process are aluminum and lime.

Water Purification Process

The purification process of water in most of the municipalities has six steps. It is coagulation / flocculation, sedimentation, filtration, stabilization, fluoridation and chlorination. The aluminum sulfate, or alum filter, water is added to the entry into pure plant during coagulation / flocculation. The addition of hydrated lime is the next step that occurs during sedimentation.

Aluminum sulphate

The chemical formula for aluminum sulfate is Al2 (SO4) 3. Often called filter alum. In the purification, a mixture of 48 percent aluminum in a water solution is combined with the incoming raw water at a rate of 18 to 24 milligrams per liter. Aluminum is found in many products pets such as deodorant and baking powder. However, in the water purification process is as coagulant. A coagulant extremely fine particles suspended in the raw water into larger particles that can be removed by filtration and sedimentation binds. This allows the removal of the desired color and turbidity. Moreover, the process removes the aluminum itself.

Lime

Hydrated lime has the chemical name of calcium hydroxide, and the chemical formula Ca (OH) 2. When purified water, adding hydrated lime to water to adjust the pH of the process is a part. The filter alum is an acid salt which lowers the pH of water purification happening. Adding hydrated lime to the process between the steps of settling and filtration at 10 to 20 milligrams per liter neutralizes the effect of the filter processing.