DELOACH BLOG

The importance of removing Carbon Dioxide in the water!

Carbon dioxide exists naturally in nature as free CO2 and can be found in many water sources from lakes, streams, or other surface water bodies. Carbon dioxide occurs naturally in small amounts (about 0.04 percent) in the Earth's atmosphere. Monitoring CO2 levels in your water can be done through test kits or monitoring systems. When monitoring CO2 levels, it is important to note the concentration at which the monitoring needs to occur. Industrial level ion exchange systems should be monitored at a concentration typically 15–20 times greater than required for drinking water quality. Ion exchange systems used for high purity water production should be monitored at a concentration typically 40–50 times greater than what is required for drinking water quality. Due to carbon dioxide’s abundance and its role as the primary driver of climate change, there are concerns about increasing concentrations of this gas in the atmosphere. To reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, people can reduce the amount of carbon dioxide released during energy production by using renewable energy sources and energy efficiency. Carbon dioxide can be captured and stored underground with carbon sequestration technologies.

Extending the life of your ion exchange resin in boiler feed water applications

Did you know that when producing steam, it is most effectively accomplished by utilizing a decarbonation process? Decarbonation and Degasification is the most economical way to process fluent water pre-Ion exchange treatment through a vertically packed tower called a decarbonator, often called a degasifier.  This is the most economical method to remove carbon dioxide (CO2) and Hydrogen Sulfide (H2S) to prevent the formation of carbonic acid. Other corrosive conditions are Degasification and Decarbonation, which will extend the life of the ion exchange resin. If CO2 levels remain high in the inlet feed water to the ion exchange system, the resin beds, whether cation or anion, will require more frequent regeneration, and your chemical usage and cost will rise.

In industrial applications, it’s easy to overlook.

Often, there is insufficient focus on selecting the right decarbonation or degasification system to ensure that the process water treatment system performs at the highest optimal level. For water filtration, when the primary process is membrane filtration, often referred to as “reverse osmosis, " too little attention is given to properly removing CO2 from the process to lower the pH and adjust the alkalinity.