Engineering Chemistry notes 18CHE-12/22

Water Technology

Impurities in water:
1) Dissolved impurities:
Dissolved impurities are mainly bicarbonate, chloride and sulphate salts of calcium,
magnesium, iron, sodium and potassium. In addition, small amounts of nitrates, nitrites,
silicates, ammonia and ferrous salts are also present. The presence of these salts imparts
hardness to water.

Ex: - When water is in contact with soil (or rock), limestone present in rock combines
with water along with CO, of water to give Ca(HCO,). This impurity dissolves in water.
Hence it acts as a dissolved impurity.

CaCOtH0+CO >Ca(HCO3h.
In general underground water contains more dissolved salts than surface water.

2). Suspended impurities

Suspended impurities are the dispersion of solid particles, which can be removed by filtration
or settling. They are of two types: Inorganic and Organic
Sand, clay, silica oxides of iron and aluminum etc are inorganic type of suspended
impurities. Wood pieces, Leaf, decaying vegetable matter, microorganisms etc are organic
impurities. These impurities impart turbidity, bad colour, bad odour and bad taste to water.

3). Dissolved gases:

The water contains mainly CO. O,as dissolved gases. Some water may contain ammonia and
Sulphur compounds such as hydrogen sulphide (HS) as dissolved gas. Presence of these gases
imparts foul smell to water.

4).Organic matter (microscopic matter):

Organic compound derived from decay of vegetable and animal matter including many
pathogenic bacteria and microorganisms are also present in water. They are the main cause for
water borne diseases. These can be removed from water by boiling and chlorination.

Boiler feed water:

A boiler is a closed vessel which operates at different pressure and temperature. Water heated in
boiler under pressure is transformed to steam.
The water used in these ypes of boiler is called as boiler Jeed water
(The steam generated in these boilers is being used for various purposes like power generation,
space heating, drying, sterilization etc.)

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Engineering Chemistry notes 18CHE-12/22

Boiler troubles

1. Scale and Sludge formation

2. Priming and Foaming
3. Boiler corrosion

I. Scale and Sludge formation:-Water is heated under higher pressure at higher temperature
inside the boilers which makes the water to get evaporated in the form of steam. As the
boiling point of water is much less than that of many impurities gets progressively deposited
inside the boiler.

The hard deposite adhered to the inner surface of boilers which are difficult to remove
are called as scales.
Ex.Scales formed due to presence of impurities like Mg(HCO3), Ca(HCO3), CaS04 etc

-Water
Hard adhering
Boler coating on
wal
inner wals of
boiler (scale)
Loose
precipitate
SUspended
water
(sludge)
ttt ttt
Heat Heat

Problems caused by seales

1. Loss
of fuels
2. Reduction of Boiler efficiency
3. Boiler explosion
4. Expense of cleaning
Methods to Remove Scales
1. Blow down operation for loose scales
2. By giving thermal shocks, which involves alternate heating and cooling that makes the
Scales brittle.
3. Chemical treatment with HCI for Carbonates and EDTA for Ca/Mg Salts

Loose collection of suspended solids in the cooler, less turbulent parts of the boiler and
in the distribution of pipes is called sludge.
Sludge formation may be due to presence of MgCO3,CaC2,MgCI2

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Engineering Chemistry notes 18CHE-12/22

Problems caused by sludge

1. Loss of fuels
2. Reduction of Boiler efficiency
3. Expense of cleaning8

Prevention of Sludge
1. By using soft water for the boiler operation
Removal of concentrated salty water from time to time so that deposition of sludge is
prevented

Boiler corrosion
The process of degradation of the boiler surface by the attack of boiler feed water is called as
boiler corrosion

Corrosion in boiler is due to the following reasons

1. Presence of dissolved oxygen: The Dissolved oxygen present in the boiler feed water can
attack boiler surface and produce rust as follows

2Fe+2H0+0" 2Fe(OH}
Fe(OH)a+02 2Fe0,2H20]rust
2. Presence of carbon dioxide: carbon dioxide forms carbonic acid in presence of water
which is slightly acidic in nature and hence cause corrosion

Co+H0 H2CO
3. Presence of Dissolvedforms
salts (MgCl)
Magnesium chloride hydrochloric acid in presence of water which has slow effect
on boiler materials.

MgCl+ 2H0 Mg(OHrt 2HC1

Fe+2HCI Fett2+ H2
F e ( O H ) 2 + 2HCI
FeCI2 +H20-
Fe(OH)2+ 02 2Fe203. 2H20]
Disadvantages ofboilercorrosion
1. Shortening of boiler life.

2. Leakages of joints and riverts

3. Increased cost of repairs and maintenance.

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Engineering Chemistry notes 18CHE-12/22

Biological Oxvgen Demand

Def -The amount of Dissolved oxygen consumed by the microorganism to oxidise the
biologically oxidisable impurities present in I liter of water sample over the period of 5 days at
20C
Winkler's method BOD measurement: In this method BOD is determined by measuring the
dissolved oxygen contents before and after 5 days incubation by indirect iodometric method.
Principle:- This method is based on the indirect iodometric titration. Manganese sulphate reacts
with alkaline solution to give manganese hydroxide. Manganese hydroxide reacts with DO to
give basic manganese oxide and precipitated. Precipitation is dissolved by addition of con.
H,SO. Manganese oxides Oxidise potassium iodide to iodine. The liberated iodine is titrated
against standard Na,S,O

MnSO4 + 2KOH Mn(OH) + K,SO4

Mn(OH))+ 1/202 [MnO(OH)hl

MnO(OH)2+2H2S04 + 2KI 12 +MnSO4 +3H20 +K2S04

Irt2Na25203- 2 N a l +NazS4ODs

(Note: 300 ml of waste water is diluted to 600 ml, and dived in two iodine bottles (300 ml each)

Blank titration: DO content of the one bottle determined immediately add 2ml of MnSO, and 3
ml of alkaline KI to the reagent bottle containing a known volume of water. Obtained Basic
manganese hydroxide Precipitation is dissolved using con H,SO Take a 50 cm' of the above
reaction mixture into 250 cm conical flask. Add 4-5 drop of starch indicator and titrate the
liberated iodine against standard sodium thiosulphate, till the colour changes from blue to colour
less.

Sample titration: The second bottle is incubated for 5 days at 20°C, After 5 days
unconsumed DO is determined as above procedure.

Observation and calculation

D, is the DOof the sample in mg/ml at the start of the experiment
D, is the DO of the sample in mg/ml after 5 days.
A is ml of the sample before dilution
B is ml of the sample after dilution

BOD DO1-DO2)B
A

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Engineering Chemistry notes 18CHE-12/22

Sewage treatment

Sewage water is a waste from kitchen, laundries, bathroom, laboratories and industries. The
domestic sewage contains heavy load of BOD, pathogens bacteria, colour, odour and bad smell
etc. Sewage water is discharged into water bodies, leads to deficiency of dissolvedoxygen and
leads to the death of the oxygen. Pathogen bacteria are causing water borne diseases.

. Primary treatments:- In these treatment suspended solids, gases, oil and grease are
removed as follows
a) Screening:-Suspended and floating substances are removed in this process by passing
waste water through metal bar screens or mesh screens.
b) Slit and Grit removal:-In this method the Waste water is passed through channels in
a grit chamber. Water flows slowly in this chamber as a result of this silt and grit
particles(Heavy pieces, pebbles, sand) Being heavy, settles down at the bottom of the
chamber
c) Oil and grease removal:-Oil and grease is removed by passing air under high
pressure into the sewage water. As the solubility of air in water decreases during this
process, air comes out of water in the form of bubbles,these bubbles carry oil with
them to the top which can be removed by skimming
d) Sedimentation:- it is to remove finer suspended impurities. The particles which do
not settle down by gravity are coagulated by the addition of coagulants such as alum,
ferrous sulphate etc. the sediment particles are filtered off.

2.Secondary treatment:Secondary process involves an aerobic oxidation of organic

matter.

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Engineering Chemistry notes 18CHE-12/22

233.4

100 cm water sample contains= Ag of SO,*

1Ocm' of solution contains = A x 10 g of S04

Determination of Fluoridesinwater by colorimetricmethod

Principle: Fluorides contents in water are determined by colorimetric method. When the water
sample contains fluorides ions is treated with Z- SPADNS in acidic medium, F bleaches the Z-
SPADNS reagent and the amount of bleaching depends on the concentration of F according to
Beer's Lambert law.

Procedure:

1. Draw 1,2,3, -----8 ml ofstandard NaF solution in eight different 50 ml volumetric

flask. Add 2 drops of 0.5% NaAsO, to remove residual chlorine if any and 1Ocm' Z-
SPADNS reagent. Dilute the solution up to the mark and shake well.
2. Prepare test solution by taking analytic sample in similar way

3. Prepare blank solution by taking 2drops of 0.5% NaAsO, and 10cm' Z- SPADANS
without taking NaF solution.
4. Measure the absorbance of each solution with respect to blank at 570nm wave kngi

5. Draw the calibration curve by plotting concentration verses absorbance and find out the
concentration of F - in test solution with the help o f graph.

Conc.

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Engineering Chemistry notes 18CHE-12/22

Importance:
1) The COD test is widely used for measuring the pollutional strength of domestic and
industrial wastes.
2) Management and design of treatment plant.
of COD test that the determination is completed in three hours
3) The major advantages are

as compared to the 5 days required for BOD determination.

Chemical Analysis of Water

Determination ofsulphates inwaterby gravimetriemethod

Principle: When water contains sulphate ions is treated with Barium chloride solution. The
sulphate is converted into sparingly soluble barium Sulphate. The ppt. is separated and weighed.

MgSO,or CaSO, + BaCl CaCl or MgCl, + BasO,

From the weight of ppt, the amount of sulphate in water sample can be calculated.

Procedure:

1. 100 cm' of water sample into a clean beaker+ 2drops of methyl red indicator + con. HCI drop
by drop till to get pink colour +2drop con. HCI is in excess.
2. The above solution is heat nearly to boiling+ 10% hot BaCl t stir well till to

get white ppt. +

2drops of BaCl, is in excess.

3. The ppt is digested for two hours and then filter through No. 4 Whatman grade

filter paper. Wash the ppt. with cold water many times to remove chloride

contents if any.

4. The filter paper along with ppt. is transferred to previously weighed crucible

and heat up to 900°C.

5. The ppt. is cool in decicator and then finds out its weight.

Calculation

233.4g of BaSO, contains 96.06g of sulphate

Wg of BasO, contains 96.06xW

--******
Agof SO
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Engineering Chemistry notes 18CHE-12/22

of BOD: BOD is most in sewage treatment, as it indicates the amount of

important
Importance
of pollution or amount of dissolved
decomposable organic matter in the sewage or extent
the treatnment.
oxygen. On the basics, environments design
Greater the concentration of organic matter in the sewage, greater the BOD

Chemical oxYgen demand

It is the amount of oxygen in milligrams required to oxidize organic and inorganic Impurities

present in one liter of waste water using strong agent like KCr;0, under acidic
oxidizing
medium.

Principle:A Known amount of water is refluxed with a known excess acidified K,Cr:0, and a
small amount of Ag.SO, and HgSO, are added. K,Cr;0, Oxidizes all oxidisable impurities.
The amount of unconsumed K,Cra;0,is determined by titration with std. FAS (ferrous ammonium
sulphate) solution using ferroin indicator. The amount of KCrO,solution consumed coresponds
to the COD of the sewage sample.

Procedure:
Sample or Backtitration:
Pipette 25 ml of waste water into a clean conical flask add 2 test tube of 2N H,SO, solution and
pipette out 10 ml of K.Cr.O, solution to the same conical Aask. Add Ig of HgSO, followed by Ig
Ag.SO. Attach a reflux condenser and reflux contents for 2 hours. Cool and titrate the
unconsumed K.Cr:0, against FAS using ferroinindicator til the color of the solution changes
from bluish green color to reddish brown.
Blanktitration:- The above procedure is repeated without adding Waste water sample.

Observation and calculation:

Volume of water sample taken= Vcm
Volume of standard FAS used in sample titration= Y cm'
Volume of standard FAS in the blank titration= X cm
Normality of FAS solution= N
Amount of K2Cr207 consumed in satisfying the COD in terms of FAS solution=(X-YJcm'
NxV=N x (X-Y)
Normality of COD of the sample N = N*(X-Y)

1000cm' of waste water sample - 8*(X-Y'N*1000 mg of 0 2 t r

25

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 Engineering Chemistry notes 18CHE-12/22

Membrane Pressure

na
level

Fresh Salt Fresh Salt

water water water vater

Osmosis Reverse osmosis

OR

Reverse Osmosis

Applied Pressure Pure Water

T
Fresh
Water
Salt
Water
Semi-Permeable
Membrane

O Contaminants
O oP

Water Flow

MOST REPEATED QUESTIONS IN yTU EXAM

1. What is boiler feed water? Explain boiler troubles.

2. What is DO. Explain the determination of DO with reactions.

3. What COD? Explain the method of determination of COD with reactions.

4. Describe the secondary treatment of sewage by activated sludge process.

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Engineering Chemistry notes 18CHE-12/22

Calon
exchnge r'esm
Anlon exchange
resin

Water ilet, Water outdet,

inpure hard w a t deionized water

Process: In this process, cation and anion exchange resins are packed in separate columns. Hard
water is first passed through cation exchange resin where cation like Ca*", Mg are removed
from hard water by exchanging with H' ions as follows

Ca22R-H'> R-Ca3*+2H
Mg +2R"-H' R2-Mg*+2H*
Hard water is then passed through anion exchange resin where ions like Cl,SOFare exchanged
with OH ions as follows;

RT-OH+Cl R-Cl"+OH
These H and OH ions released combine to form water molecule. Thus water coming out of two
resins is ions free and called as ion-exchanged or demineralize water.

Desalination or Desalting
Desalination is a process of partial or complete demineralization of highly saline water
(sea water). The important methods of desalination are
1) Reverse osmosis:-If pure water and salt water are separated by a semipermeable
membrane, the water molecules flows from pure water to salt water. This process
of movement of solvent (water) molecules from dilute solutions into concentrated
solution through a semipermeable membrane is called osmosis. Pressure excerted
due to osmosis is called osmotic pressure.
Water can be made to flow in reverse direction ( Salt water to pure water ) by
applying pressure on the water greater than osmotic pressure. This process is
called reverse osmosiS.
A reverse osmosis unit consists of a steel vessel, a membrane and a high pressure
pump. The membrane are generally made of cellulose acetate or Nylon.

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Engineering Chemistry notes 18CHE-12/22

WAS TER MiCRORJAHi:AS

CHO mass
THEATMD

UAR DPLNT

ETUHSDDE

FERTLLR E A

Activated sludge process: This processis to remove biologically Oxidizable impurities present
in polluted water. Here Waste water sample after primary treatment is mixed with activated
sludge (Water sample containing higher concentration of microorganisms like Azobacter,
Bacillus, Zoophagus etc) and taken into the large tank. Air is passed into the tank to maintain
aerobic conditions. Under aerobic condition, Microorganisms oxidize Biological oxidizable
impurities into CO2 and H20.

c) Tertiarytreatment:
i. Treatment with lime for the removal of phosphates as insoluble calcium phosphates.

Ca(OH) + PO"
Ca (P04):
. Treatment with S* ions for the removal of metal ions as insoluble metal sulphides.
ii. Treatment with activated charcoal to adsorb remaining organic compounds.
iv. Treatment with alum to remove the colloidal impurities not removed in the previous
treatments.
V. Filtration

Softening ofwater byion exchangeprocess:

In this method, softening of water is done by exchanging the ions causing hardness of water with
desired ions from an ion exchange resin. Ion exchange resins are high molecular weight, cross
linked polymers with a porous structure. The functional groups which are attached to the chains
are responsible for ion exchange properties.
The resins containing acidic groups which are capable exchanging H'(or Na') ions for cations
(Ca or Mgpresent in water are known as cation exchange resins(RH).
The resins containing basic groups which are capable exchanging OH for anions (CI, S0:)
present in water are known as anion exchange resins (R OH).

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