Efficiency of Reducing Groundwater Hardness by Ion Exchange Method

Abstract

High hardness of drinking and process water leads to the formation of deposits in heat exchange equipment, increased energy consumption, and rapid wear of equipment. Various water softening methods are used to solve this problem. Among them, the Na-cation exchange method is characterized by high efficiency, stable operation, and simplicity of the operation process. This method improves water quality by exchanging Ca and Mg ions with sodium ions. Samples were taken from 6 underground wells in the Fergana Valley, covering a total area of ​​0.72 thousand km2 in the Fergana city, Toshlok district, Qoshtepa district, and Yozyavon district, and the hardness of drinking water was determined using the titration method in laboratory conditions. Based on the results obtained, boiling, filtration (ion exchange), chemical, reverse osmosis, and distillation methods of water softening were compared. The water softening method for each region was selected using scientific principles. It was found that the most optimal method for reducing groundwater of different hardness to a uniform hardness is the ion exchange method. The amount of NaCl was determined for each well to reduce water hardness.