Industrial Water Problems

This chapter explores the issue of industrial water, where the issues of problems, chemical nature, and mitigation are considered, especially in the case of boilers, cooling towers, and process industries. Dissolved salts, hardness ions, dissolved gases and impurities are common elements of industrial water and thus cause operation problems which include scaling, sludge, corrosion and caustic embrittlement. The chemical processes involved in these issues are described in the chapter, and they are the deposition of calcium and magnesium salts, acidic or alkaline corrosion of metals, and local corrosion. Controlling measures of these issues, including chemical dosing, water softening, blowdown, corrosion inhibitors, as well as the choice of material, are also elaborated on. Some examples of power plants, chemical manufacturing, and metallurgical industries also demonstrate the practical methods of solving problems and optimising processes to sustain the efficiency, life of equipment, and environmental aspects. The focus is on the combination of chemical analysis, process control, and engineering of industries in order to detect, remove, and alleviate water-related challenges. The integration of theory and practical solutions helps the students to acquire knowledge on industrial water management, environmental engineering, chemical process design, and sustainable industrial operations. The knowledge of industrial water issues can guarantee the safe, efficient and economically viable functioning of industrial systems, which is aligned with the current sustainability requirements and regulations.