Zeolite Process of Water Softening

Summary

This video script explains the zeolite process for water softening, detailing its origin from the Greek words 'zein' (to boil) and 'lithos' (stone). Zeolite, represented as Na2Z, is a sodium hydrated aluminum silicate used to convert hard water, rich in calcium and magnesium ions, into soft water. The script outlines the reversible ion exchange mechanism where sodium ions in zeolite are exchanged for hardness-causing ions. It also covers the process's advantages, such as low maintenance and space requirements, and its limitations, including the inability to treat turbid, colored, or acidic water, and the potential for increased sodium content in treated water.

Takeaways

• 💧 **Zeolite Process**: The script explains the zeolite process used for treating hard water to convert it into soft water by targeting calcium and magnesium ions.
• 🌿 **Etymology of Zeolite**: The term 'zeolite' originates from the Greek words 'zein' (to boil) and 'lithos' (stone), reflecting its appearance of boiling stone due to water release.
• 🔬 **Chemical Composition**: Zeolite used for water softening is primarily sodium hydrated aluminum silicate, represented as Na2Z, where Z is the zeolite framework.
• 🔄 **Ion Exchange Mechanism**: The process involves a reversible exchange of sodium ions in the zeolite with calcium and magnesium ions from hard water, resulting in softened water.
• 🌱 **Types of Zeolite**: Zeolites can be natural, found as green sand, or synthetic, which are lab-made and known as permutites, used in the permutit process.
• 🏗️ **Water Softening Setup**: The process requires a container with a zeolite pad on a bed of gravels, where hard water is introduced at the top and soft water is collected at the bottom.
• ♻️ **Regeneration of Zeolite**: After exhaustion, zeolite can be regenerated by introducing a sodium chloride (brine) solution to revert the calcium and magnesium zeolite back to sodium zeolite.
• 📊 **Advantages**: Zeolite softeners are space-efficient, have low maintenance and operational costs, and can remove up to 10 ppm of hardness, leaving a minimal residual hardness.
• 🚫 **Disadvantages**: The treated water may contain excess sodium ions, potentially causing pseudo-hardness, and the process does not treat anions, which can affect water quality.
• ⛔ **Limitations**: The process is not effective with turbid, colored, or acidic water, as these conditions can clog the zeolite pores, interfere with regeneration, or destroy the zeolite structure.

Q & A

What is the primary purpose of the zeolite process?

The primary purpose of the zeolite process is to treat hard water by converting it into soft water, specifically by targeting and removing calcium and magnesium ions.

What is the origin of the term 'zeolite'?

The term 'zeolite' is derived from the Greek words 'zein' meaning 'to boil' and 'lithos' meaning 'stone', reflecting the observation of water appearing to boil out of certain stone formations.

What is the chemical composition of the zeolite used in water softening?

The zeolite used for water softening is sodium hydrated aluminum silicate, represented as Na2Z, where 'Z' refers to the zeolite network and 'Na' indicates sodium ions that are free to react.

How does the zeolite process work in terms of ion exchange?

The zeolite process works by allowing hard water to come into contact with zeolite, which then exchanges its sodium ions for calcium and magnesium ions, converting hard water into soft water.

What are the two types of zeolite mentioned in the script?

The two types of zeolite mentioned are natural zeolite, which is found in nature like green sand, and synthetic zeolite, which is artificially created in a lab.

What is the role of sodium ions in the zeolite structure?

Sodium ions in the zeolite structure are free to react and are involved in the ion exchange process, making them crucial for the water softening process.

How is the zeolite regenerated after it becomes exhausted?

The zeolite is regenerated by supplying a solution containing sodium ions, typically a 10% NaCl solution or brine, which reverses the ion exchange and restores the zeolite to its sodium form.

What are the advantages of using a zeolite softener?

Zeolite softeners occupy less space, have lower maintenance and operation costs, can remove up to 10 ppm of hardness, require less skill for maintenance, and do not produce waste or precipitates.

What are the disadvantages of the zeolite process?

The treated water may contain excess sodium ions leading to pseudo-hardness, it does not treat anions, and the total dissolved solids (TDS) value may increase.

What are the limitations of the zeolite process?

The zeolite process has limitations including its ineffectiveness with turbid water, colored ions, and acidic water, as these conditions can clog the zeolite pores, interfere with regeneration, or destroy the zeolite structure.

Outlines

00:00

💧 Introduction to Zeolite Process for Water Softening

The speaker introduces the concept of the zeolite process, which is used to treat hard water by removing calcium and magnesium ions. Hard water is defined as water containing dissolved salts of calcium and magnesium. The goal is to convert hard water into soft water through the use of zeolite, a naturally occurring substance derived from the Greek words 'xenolithos', meaning 'boiling stone'. Zeolite is described as a sodium hydrated aluminum silicate, represented as Na2Z, where 'Z' refers to the zeolite network and 'Na' indicates sodium ions that are free to react. The speaker explains the structure of zeolite, highlighting its ability to exchange sodium ions with hardness-producing ions in water, thus softening it.

05:01

🔄 The Working Principle and Process of Zeolite Water Softening

The paragraph explains the principle behind the zeolite water softening process, which involves the reversible exchange of sodium ions in zeolite with calcium and magnesium ions present in hard water. This exchange results in the conversion of sodium zeolite into calcium and magnesium zeolite, thereby softening the water. The process is illustrated with a step-by-step description of how hard water is treated with zeolite to produce soft water. The speaker also discusses the regeneration of exhausted zeolite using a sodium chloride (brine) solution, which restores the zeolite's ability to soften water. The process involves four steps: initial softening, exhaustion of zeolite, regeneration with brine, and the continuation of the softening process.

10:02

🏡 Advantages and Disadvantages of Zeolite Water Softening

This section outlines the advantages of using zeolite for water softening, including its small footprint, lower maintenance and operational costs, and the ability to reduce hardness up to 10 ppm, which is referred to as residual hardness. The speaker also mentions that the process requires less skill for maintenance and does not result in sludge or waste formation. However, disadvantages are also highlighted, such as the treated water containing an excess of sodium ions, which can lead to pseudo-hardness and create issues for both domestic and industrial use. Additionally, the process does not treat anions and can increase the total dissolved solids (TDS) in water.

15:03

⚠️ Limitations of the Zeolite Process

The final paragraph discusses the limitations of the zeolite process. It emphasizes that the process is not effective with turbid water, as suspended or colloidal particles can clog the zeolite pores. The presence of colored ions can also hinder the regeneration of sodium in the zeolite, and acidic water can destroy the zeolite structure due to competition between sodium and hydrogen ions. These limitations are critical as they can cause the process to stop working effectively. The speaker concludes by summarizing the key points about the zeolite process, its benefits, and its constraints.

Keywords

💡Zeolite

Zeolite is a microporous aluminosilicate mineral that is used as a water softening agent. In the video, zeolite is described as sodium hydrated aluminum silicate, represented as Na2Z, where 'Z' refers to the zeolite network. It is capable of exchanging its sodium ions with calcium and magnesium ions present in hard water, thus converting it into soft water. The video explains that zeolite can be natural or synthetic, and its structure allows for this ion exchange process, which is central to the water softening technique discussed.

💡Hard Water

Hard water is water that contains high concentrations of dissolved salts of calcium and magnesium. The video script explains that the process of water softening, such as the zeolite process, aims to reduce the hardness of water by targeting these ions. An example from the script mentions that hard water can be represented by calcium chloride, which when passed through zeolite, leads to an exchange reaction that removes the calcium ions.

💡Soft Water

Soft water is the result of treating hard water to remove calcium and magnesium ions. The video emphasizes the conversion of hard water into soft water as the primary goal of the zeolite process. Soft water is beneficial for various applications, including domestic use and industrial processes, as it does not leave deposits and is easier to work with than hard water.

💡Ion Exchange

Ion exchange is a reversible process in which ions are exchanged between two solutions or phases. In the context of the video, the zeolite process involves the exchange of sodium ions in the zeolite for calcium and magnesium ions in the water. This exchange reaction is what makes the water 'soft' by reducing the concentration of hardness-causing ions.

💡Regeneration

Regeneration in the context of the video refers to the process of restoring the zeolite's ion exchange capacity after it has become saturated with calcium and magnesium ions. This is achieved by passing a sodium chloride (brine) solution through the zeolite, which reverses the exchange reaction and frees the zeolite to again soften hard water. The video explains that regeneration is a critical step in the continuous use of zeolite for water softening.

💡Permuted Process

The term 'permuted process' is used in the video to describe the synthetic version of the zeolite process. It implies that the process involves the preparation of zeolite in a laboratory setting, as opposed to using naturally occurring zeolite. The script mentions that synthetic zeolite, also known as permuted, is used in the water softening process, highlighting the versatility of the material in both natural and synthetic forms.

💡Orthosilicates

Orthosilicates are a group of minerals that contain silicate groups in their structure. The video mentions that zeolite is an orthosilicate, which means it has a structure that includes silicate groups. This structural feature is important for the zeolite's ability to undergo ion exchange, as it provides the necessary framework for the zeolite to selectively absorb and release ions.

💡Water of Crystallization

Water of crystallization refers to water molecules that are part of the crystal structure of a substance. In the video, it is mentioned that zeolite is 'hydrated' because it contains water of crystallization. This water is loosely held and can be released, contributing to the 'boiling stone' description of zeolite, as the water can escape easily from the zeolite structure.

💡Residual Hardness

Residual hardness is the term used in the video to describe the remaining hardness in water after it has been softened. The zeolite process can reduce hardness but may leave a small amount of hardness ions, typically up to 10 ppm. This residual hardness is a characteristic of the zeolite softening process and is considered a limitation compared to other water softening methods that may achieve lower levels of residual hardness.

💡Pseudo-Hardness

Pseudo-hardness is a term introduced in the video to describe a false perception of water hardness due to the presence of excess sodium ions. The video explains that when treated water contains a high concentration of sodium ions, it can interfere with soap lathering, creating a lather that is similar to that of hard water. This can lead to the misconception that the water is hard when it is actually the high sodium content causing the issue.

Highlights

Zeolite process is used to treat hard water by converting it into soft water.

Hard water contains dissolved salts of calcium and magnesium.

Zeolite is derived from the Greek word 'xenolithos', meaning 'boiling stone'.

Zeolite is an orthosilicate with metallic ions, used for water softening.

Sodium hydrated aluminum silicate is the type of zeolite used for water softening.

Zeolite has the ability to exchange its sodium ions with hardness-producing ions.

Zeolite can be natural, found as green sand, or synthetic, created in a lab.

The water softening process involves reversible exchange of sodium ions with calcium and magnesium ions.

Zeolite process involves passing hard water through a container with zeolite to produce soft water.

Zeolite can become exhausted and needs regeneration with a sodium chloride solution.

The regeneration process involves reversing the exchange reaction to restore the zeolite's sodium ions.

Zeolite softeners are compact and have low maintenance and operation costs.

The process can remove up to 10 ppm of hardness, leaving a residual hardness.

Zeolite process requires less skill for maintenance compared to other softening methods.

The treated water may contain excess sodium ions, which can induce pseudo-hardness.

Anions are not treated in the zeolite process, which can affect water quality.

Zeolite process has limitations, including sensitivity to turbid, colored, and acidic water.

Transcripts

hello everyone

so today i will explain you zeolite or

permitted process

this is a process which is used to treat

hard water

now i hope if you remember hot water is

that water which contains

dissolved salt of calcium and magnesium

so what i want to target is i want to

convert this hard water into soft water

and that means i want to target those

calcium

and magnesium ions which are present in

the

hard water so if i remove those ions the

hard water can be converted to soft

water

so one of the process which is used for

that is zeolite process

uh zeonite was derived derived from the

greek word xenolithos so one a geologist

was working on a dome

and he found on the hill that there are

certain green colored

sand or stone particles which look as if

they are boiling

that means a water is coming out of it

and based on that

zine means boiling and lithos means a

stone

later on the name for that particular

compound was

termed as a zeolite basically zeolite

are uh orthosilicates uh they are

basically having these uh metallic ions

in them

uh especially zeolite which is used for

water softening process

is sodium hydrated aluminum silicate

so it is normally represented as na2z

where in z you can call it as a zeolite

network which is quite

fixed while uh the other ions which are

present

in the network are nothing but sodium

aluminium silicon etc so now if you uh

look into

the name of the compound it is very easy

to locate that sodium is written fast

that means sodium is the iron which is

quite free in the

uh structure of the zeolite at the end

silicate is

mentioned that means the major network

is of silicate now if you remember

silicate was a tetrahedra and if you

remember

sio44 minus tetrahedra look like this

now this could make it in a chain form

or a sheet form

that is all silicate exist now imagine

if i remove one silicate

uh silicon which is si4 plus in this

structure

uh and in order to compensate that

positive charge i can dope it with

aluminium plus three

and then there is one more ion left

which is n a plus

so aluminium plus three can take up that

space where silicon was there

but what about n a plus so any plus

keeps on roaming in this so n a plus

does not get a

space in the letters to occupy so it

keeps on roaming in this and that is why

na is free to react

and that is why we call it as na2z so

here sodium

is free to react hydrated because it is

having water of crystallization attached

to it

so i guess you understand that the water

of crystallization is very loosely held

that is why it can come out easily of

the network and that's how it was

boiling because the water came out uh

very easily

and then aluminum so basically it is

sodium hydrated aluminum silicate

so you can see here the formula it goes

na2o

sodium hydrated aluminum silicate

now you can see x and y these are

nothing but integers and they vary in

this ratio

and there are lot many probability and

combinations like permutations available

for this

and based on that their name also

changes so basically zeolite is that a

silicate

which is capable of exchanging its

sodium ions so this iron sodium is

available for the

exchange the types of zeolite it could

be two

if you want to simply classify zeolite

you can simply say that post it is

natural zeolite

which is available in nature so a green

sand normally

can be considered as zeolite and then

there are different different names as i

said depending on

x and y value here if you can see those

x and y's are varying

based on that uh they are available with

different

different name the second one would be

synthetic zeolite

the name itself suggests that you are

making it in the lab they are completely

uh artificial you are making it

synthesizing it so obviously you can

prepare them because you know the

formula right

so if the formula is known you can

anyhow prepare them by using or

selecting

uh the chemicals like here these

chemicals are selected and they are

used to prepare zeolite synthetic

zeolite is also known as permuted

and that is why the another name of this

process is zeolite or

permuted process now let us go ahead

with

like up till now what we have seen it is

it could be natural and it could be

synthetic and basically it is

represented as

na2z however it is sodium hydrated

aluminum silicate

so this is not nothing but the pictures

of zeolite available

now go to the principle of water

softening directly though i can say that

you have to first allow your hard water

to come in contact with zeolite

then what happens is calcium and

magnesium ions which are

present in the hard water let's say

calcium chloride is the hard water

and you allow it to react with the

zeolite pad then what happens is

any ions are exchanged so this sodium

zeolite

which was any uh this is getting

exchanged with this calcium so what

happens it converts into calcium

zeolite so ultimately sodium zeolite is

converted into calcium

and magnesium zeolite so basically the

principle behind this

uh water softening process would be

reversible exchange of sodium ions

with hardness producing ions i'll later

tell you how it is reversible

as of now if you can take any hardness

producing iron

be it magnesium sulfate the reaction

remains

same it is going to get exchanged by the

zeolite so the zeolite is going to

convert into calcium and magnesium

cellulite

and that is how the water is free from

that calcium magnesium iron

coming to the major reaction which i

just disclosed uh right now

is the common reaction so basically

whatever

calcium and magnesium ions or salts are

present here if you allow them to react

with the zeolite zoolight is going to

absorb that

and it becomes calcium and magnesium z

now if you can focus on each and every

reaction they all are saying the same

the water now earlier which was having

sulfates in it which is of calcium

magnesium

nowadays of sodium so basically it is

free from calcium and magnesium

and that is why the water can be called

as salt

going to the process uh you need to take

a container which contains zeolite and

then you have to spray your hard water

from the top

and you can get your soft water from the

bottom let us see

the process now the container looks like

this

there is a zeolite pad which is coated

on the bed of gravels

now if you remember gravels were always

used for the filtration purpose

right when you used to filter the water

you used to

have that fine sand then coarse and then

pebbles

you increase the size of pebbles that

we used to use for the filteration so

here also gravels means pebbles

uh so those pebbles we are going to use

for the filtration purpose on which the

zeolite has been

kept now from here you are going to

supply your hard water

and remember hard water means dissolved

salts of calcium and magnesium ions are

present

here so it is also also calcium and

magnesium are present here

you allow them to fall on the zeolite

now if you remember the reaction would

be this only

let's say calcium chloride is present

and if it reacts with zero light

your sodium is going to get exchanged

and your

water would be free from that calcium

ion

and that water goes down now since your

gravel is placed uh that ensures the

filtration purpose so that no sand

particle or other particle

is uh falling down and from here you can

get your soft water out

so this soft water means which is free

from calcium and magnesium

ions that's simple so what we are doing

is water softening

so this is the one aspect of a zeolite

process now

what happens after certain time

let me show you in my way like let's say

this is the first step

right and if i add hard water from top

right and this is my zoo light so i'll

get my soft water from water

that's that's what we have seen up till

now but don't you think after some time

your zeolite na2z will be converted to

calcium z and magnesium z

and it may exhaust so it becomes

exhausted or saturated

zeolite because if you um you know

measure it

like around maybe some limited quantity

of zeolite here

some limited quantity of zeolite is used

so there is highly likely chances that

let's say one turn zeolite is used so

that is going to consume

that is going to be consumed the sodium

ions are going to be exchanged

so it's highly likely that there is a

position when

entire na2z is converted into calcium z

and magnesium z

so now if i add hard water from top

do you think it is going to give me soft

water

no it is not going to give you soft

water because there will be no

exchange reactions there will be no

nature to get exchanged

and this step is known as exhausted

zeolite

so for the third step what i can do is i

want

a regeneration of my zeolite i want my z

zeolite back for that what i want is

these ions should get again converted to

na2z

and obviously i need to supply a

solution which contains

n a so normally 10 percent nacl solution

which is nothing but brine is uh allowed

to spray on the top again

and then here from here you can skip

those washings

and at the end at the fourth step your

zeolite will be regenerated

and then now if you allow your hard

water to pass through it

definitely is going to give you the soft

water

so in all the overall process contains

four steps

the first step which is removal of water

uh hardness which is softening of water

in between you have to take a pause

because it may get exhausted

and you have to regenerate your calcium

z and magnesium set back you want your

rna to set back

so that step is known as regeneration

wherein you have to supply a solution

which contains any ions normally

nacl solution is used to regenerate it

so that

you can regenerate your zeolite back and

that's how you're again

ready for the softening process so let

us go back to the procedure

we are done with the step one now

imagine if this keep on going there will

be a one time where this na2 is not left

in the

zeolite so what you have to do is to

regenerate it back

so this particular area is for

regeneration

injector is basically used to like

inject that particular

solution nacl as i said you can spray it

from

here so nacl can be sprayed from here

nacl as i said

is used for regeneration so when the

reaction get reversed

i hope you understand this nacl plus

calcium said

reverse and you will be able to

regenerate your zeolite

back that is why i said in the principle

if you remember

it is reversible exchange of sodium ions

with hardness producing ions reversible

exchange of this sodium ion

with hardness producing ions so that is

how it is reversible

so now comes the turn of backward

direction regeneration when you spray

your nacl

this sink portion will be used for uh

discarding the washing

so this is a separate area and this area

is used to take your soft water

so i hope it is very easy for you now to

understand that how does a zeolite

softener work

you have to allow your hard water to

come in from the top

and then your soft water can be taken

from the bottom provided the reaction is

this and at the same time you are

able to regenerate the zeolite back by

giving it a wash with the nacl and then

the process can go on continuously

this is how it looks like i think you

are able to understand this top

uh inlet of hard water and i think

you're able to see this also extra

container

so here also the same pattern is taking

place

that's it so regeneration i have already

explained

you have to regenerate your exhausted

zeolite back and the reaction is same

whatever is exhausted you have to supply

a brine in order to get it regenerated

and that's it so now coming to the

advantages if you

uh can look on zeolite softener occupies

very less space

in comparison those advantages or the

coming thing which i am going to discuss

would be

in comparison to other processes like

line soda process or iron exchange

process of water softening

so here it occupies a less space because

a single container is used

overall running maintenance and

operation cost is comparatively less

it can remove hardness up to 10 ppm so

you can call it as a residual hardness

that means somewhat hardness is left in

the

uh water which is around 10 ppm so let's

say if the

hard water is around 2000 ppm hard the

it will be reduced to around 10 ppm so

it is not going to nullify

it is not going to have a 0 ppm residual

hardness but some amount of hardness

would be left

and that is residual hardness you may

take it as a disadvantage

also in comparison to iron exchange

because there the residual hardness is

around 2 ppm

but then you can take it as an advantage

also in comparison to lime soda

because there the residual hardness

varies uh from

15 ppm to 60 ppm so basically

it is a variable it requires less skill

for maintenance as a

now once the process gets started it

will be over

and there are no impurities which are

precipitated because in lime soda

process there is not much of the sludge

which is coming at the end

so there is no precipitate formation

there is no waste to formation at the

end

that is why you can call it as an

advantage now coming to the disadvantage

there are major disadvantages

which one first one is the treated water

contains

excess of sodium ions when the excess of

sodium ions how because

whatever calcium or magnesium is present

in whatever ppm let's say 1000 ppm

now the sodium ions are present in

around 1000 ppm

so obviously the treated water contains

then excess of sodium salt

and i hope you remember that there is

one hardness which you call it as pseudo

hardness

the word pseudomeans false or fake so

this kind of hardness

gets induced when excess of sodium or

potassium salts are present

what i want to say is let's say nacl is

in excess in your water

and if you treat it with soap are you

going to give the

get the leather properly or not no

you're not going to get the leather

properly because

the water is salty now when you get that

less leather what you'll assume that the

water is hard

but the water is not hard because it

does not contain catch your magnesium

right this not formation of leather is

because of excess of sodium ions

and that is what known as pseudo

hardness you may assume that the water

is hard

but it is not it is a false and fake

hardness

so treated water contains excess of

sodium salt is a problem

both for domestic level and for

industrial level it creates many

problems later on

secondly anions are not treated here

only cations are treated which are

calcium and magnesium

so anions need to be treated because

they also interfere with

uh the quality of water they can make

the water acidic or basic

and basically the treated water contains

more dissolved salts

then treated by other processes so your

tds value increases here

now coming to the limitations

limitations means the process has a

limitation

limit to it it stops working when you

call it as a disadvantage now

disadvantage is like you can anytime

convert it into advantage

by removing this this this negative

factor you can remove

and it will be advantage so disadvantage

what we discussed was these

and with them also we are okay the

process is working

but in limitations what happens the

process stops working

so the process has a limit to it and it

stops working

that is what the limitation is so

disadvantage you can take care of

and you can remove those problems but

limitations

are a problem and the process does not

even work

forget about giving you negative result

of positive result

now let's see what are the conditions

wherein the zeolite process can stop

working the first is turbid one

turbine water means the water is having

turbidity

so it is having those suspended

particles or it is having those

colloidal particles which are

present as impurity and if they are

present it should not be used for

treatment

definitely because it is going to clog

the pores

so the zeolite pores are going to get

clogged because of those impurities

and that is why it will immediately stop

working

the second limitation is the colored

ions if the water have those ions

they are also going to get exchanged by

sodium but at the same time

there is a problem related to

regeneration of your zeolite

so the regeneration of na is not

possible properly effectively when these

ions are getting exchanged

so this is a limitation that the water

should not contain these colored ions

otherwise

the sodium will not be regenerated so

that is a limit to the process

the process immediately stops working

and the last one says that the acidic

water should not be treated

because if the water contains those h

plus ions it is going to

destroy the zeolite bat destroy the

zeolite because zeolite is

n a plus and h plus competes with that

so it destroys the structure of zeolite

so acidic water should not be treated

so basically you have three limitations

here that the water should not be turbid

it should not have colored ions and it

should not be acidic

uh that concludes the zeolite process

so i think uh today i am able to give

you a glimpse of

zeolite process wherein zeolite is

derived

from two words zine lithos which is

boiling stone

it is represented as na2z where it is

sodium hydrated aluminosilicate

it could be natural and it could be

synthetic and overall

principle would be reversible exchange

of the calcium and magnesium ions

with the zeolite so that the zeolite

absorbs

uh that calcium and magnesium easily

then here regeneration is also possible

and there are certain advantages to it

the disadvantage being that it gives

excess of sodium salt

which induces pseudo hardness and there

are three limitations also

that you should not use turbid water

acidic water

and the coloured iron should not be

present in zeolite

so i think uh with that this video was

of

a good help to you so thank you so much