Hard Water
o water containing bicarbonates, chlorides and sulphates of calcium and
magnesium
o Having these salts in water is known as hardness of water
temporary hardness (bicarbonates of Ca and Mg)
hardness
permanent hardness(Cl- and SO42- of Ca and Mg)
Department of Chemistry BUET
Problems of Hard Water
o affects cleaning ability of soap; with soap it gives the precipitates of
insoluble calcium stearate
2C17H35COO-Na+ + Ca2+ → Ca(C17H35COO)2 + 2Na+
Department of Chemistry BUET
Softening of Hard Water
o process of removal of hardness from water
1. Boiling
Ca(HCO3)2 → CaCO3 + CO2 + H2O
o removes of temporary hardness
Mg(HCO3)2 → MgCO3 + CO2 + H2O
2. Liming
o lime or aqueous NH3 removes of temporary hardness
Ca(HCO3)2 + Ca(OH)2 → 2CaCO3 + 2H2O
Mg(HCO3)2 + Ca(OH)2 → CaCO3 + MgCO3 + 2H2O
Ca(HCO3)2 + NH3 → CaCO3 + 2NH4+ + CO32-
Department of Chemistry BUET
3. Caustic process
o washing soda or crude sodium hydroxide removes of permanent hardness
CaSO4 + Na2CO3 → CaCO3 + Na2SO4
CaCl2 + Na2CO3 → CaCO3 + NaCl
MgSO4 + 2NaOH → Mg(OH)2 + Na2SO4
4. Calgon process
o Sodium hexametaphosphate (commercially calgon) reacts with Ca2+ and
Mg2+ to a soluble complex ion
2 Ca2+ + Na2[Na4(PO3)6] ↔ 6Na+ + Ca2(PO3)62-
Department of Chemistry BUET
5. Ion exchangers
o zeolites (complex sodium aluminosilicates) exchanges Ca2+ and Mg2+
ions by harmless Na+ in it and the water is soften
2NaAlSi2O6 + Ca2+ → Ca(AlSi2O6)2 + 2Na+
o zeolites can be regenerated into the sodium compound by treating it with
a concentrated solution of NaCl
Ca(AlSi2O6)2 + 2Na+ → 2NaAlSi2O6 + Ca2+
Department of Chemistry BUET
5. Synthetic resin ion exchangers
o remove both cations and anions (demineralisation!)
o two exchangers are needed for the complete removal of cations and
anions from water
sulfonic strong acid cation resin (Amberlite IR-120), (XL):
cross link; (PC): polymer chain; (ES): exchange site; (EI):
exchangeable ion
R–SO3H + Ca2+ + SO42- → (R–SO3)2Ca + 2H+ + SO42-
Department of Chemistry BUET
o Another type of resin (anion exchanger) then removes both H+ and SO42-
ions from water
2R-NH2 + 2H+ + SO42- → (R-NH3)2SO4
o widely used for laboratory, domestic and industrial uses
o ion-exchangers can be regenerated by the treatment with acid and basic
solution, respectively
(R–SO3)2Ca + H+ → R–SO3H + Ca2+
(R-NH3)2SO4 + OH- → R-NH2 + H2O + SO42-
Department of Chemistry BUET
(Not in the syllabus; just for know)
