Soft water

Soft water

Soft water the term used to describe types of water that contain few or no calcium or magnesium metal cations. The term is usually related to "hard water", which does contain significant amounts of these ions.

Soft water usually comes from peat or igneous rock sources, such as granite but may also derive from sandstone sources, since such sedimentary rocks are usually low in calcium and magnesium.

There are water softening devices used in households and by industry to remove the hardness-causing minerals from hard water, leaving softer water. Most often, such devices exchange the calcium and magnesium ions in the hard water for sodium ions.

The main benefit of this artificially softened water is that the build-up of solid minerals (e.g. calcium carbonate) in pipe work and on heated surfaces - such as in boilers, immersion heaters or hot water cylinders - is controlled or even eliminated. However, softened water tends to be more corrosive to metals such as steel and zinc because these mineral deposits do not form and protect the corroding metal surfaces.

Water softened by sodium ion exchange will have a higher sodium ion content than the natural water it was derived from.


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать курсовую

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Soft water — Water Wa ter (w[add] t[ e]r), n. [AS. w[ae]ter; akin to OS. watar, OFries. wetir, weter, LG. & D. water, G. wasser, OHG. wazzar, Icel. vatn, Sw. vatten, Dan. vand, Goth. wat[=o], O. Slav. & Russ. voda, Gr. y dwr, Skr. udan water, ud to wet, and… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • soft water — minkštas vanduo statusas T sritis chemija apibrėžtis Vanduo, kurio kietumas ≤4 mmol/l. atitikmenys: angl. soft water rus. мягкая вода …   Chemijos terminų aiškinamasis žodynas

  • soft water — minkštas vanduo statusas T sritis fizika atitikmenys: angl. soft water vok. weiches Wasser, n rus. мягкая вода, f pranc. eau douce, f …   Fizikos terminų žodynas

  • soft water — minkštas vanduo statusas T sritis ekologija ir aplinkotyra apibrėžtis Vanduo, kurio kietis mažesnis negu 3 mg ekv/l. atitikmenys: angl. soft water vok. weiches Wasser, n rus. мягкая вода, f …   Ekologijos terminų aiškinamasis žodynas

  • Soft water path — is a term originating in the early 2000s, to define a new approach to water management which emphasizes reduction in water usage and providing adequate water to people in remote sparsely populated areas, and allows for the utilization or… …   Wikipedia

  • soft water — water with a low concentration of dissolved calcium and magnesium salts …   Dictionary of ichthyology

  • soft water — noun water that is not hard (does not contain mineral salts that interfere with the formation of lather with soap) • Ant: ↑hard water • Hypernyms: ↑water, ↑H2O …   Useful english dictionary

  • soft water — ▪ chemistry       water that is free from dissolved salts of such metals as calcium, iron, or magnesium, which form insoluble deposits such as appear as scale in boilers or soap curds in bathtubs and laundry equipment. See also hard water. * * * …   Universalium

  • soft water — noun water with a low concentration of dissolved minerals, especially calcium, making it easier to lather with soap Ant: hard water …   Wiktionary

  • soft water — tap water that does not have many minerals …   English contemporary dictionary

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”