Iron water treatment

In addition to the requirement to conform to steam purity needs, there are concerns that the boiler water not corrode the boiler tubes nor produce deposits, known as scale, on these tubes. Three important components of boiler tube scale are iron oxides, copper oxides, and calcium salts, particularly calcium carbonate [471-34-1]. Calcium carbonate in the feedwater tends to produce a hard, tenacious deposit. Sodium phosphate is often added to the water of recirculating boilers to change the precipitate from calcium carbonate to calcium phosphate (see also Water, industrial water treatment). 

Both iron and aluminum are particulady troublesome because of their abiUty to act as coagulants. Also, their soluble and insoluble hydroxide forms can each cause precipitation of some water treatment chemicals, such as orthophosphate. Airborne contaminants usually consist of clay and dirt particles but can include gases such as hydrogen sulfide, which forms insoluble precipitates with many metal ions. Process leaks introduce a variety of contaminants that accelerate deposition and corrosion. 

Internal treatment-related problems may take the form of organic material present in deposits of iron oxide corrosion debris and salt scales. The material typically is present as carbonized organic components and may originate from water treatment chemicals such as quebracho, wattle, pymgallol, or other tannin derivatives. Also, acrylates, starches, sulfonated lignins, and other sludge dispersants may be present. 

Where serious problems develop, typically the waterside chemistry is poor and iron corrosion debris, sludges, and general deposition are evident. Perhaps there is no softener or the water treatment program is unsuitable for actual operating conditions. Possibly the protocol for BD is inappropriate (either too much or too little, or it is unrelated to steam demands) or flushing, cleaning, and boil-out programs have not been properly instituted. 

Various treatment technologies are used at the iron and steel plant for recycle system water treatment prior to recycle and reuse, or end-of-pipe wastewater treatment prior to discharge to surface water or a POTW. The physical/chemical treatment technologies extensively used include equalization, tar removal, free and fixed ammonia stripping, cooling technologies, cyanide treatment technologies,... 

The mobility of arsenic compounds in soils is affected by sorp-tion/desorption on/from soil components or co-precipitation with metal ions. The importance of oxides (mainly Fe-oxides) in controlling the mobility and concentration of arsenic in natural environments has been studied for a long time (Livesey and Huang 1981 Frankenberger 2002 and references there in Smedley and Kinniburgh 2002). Because the elements which correlate best with arsenic in soils and sediments are iron, aluminum and manganese, the use of Fe salts (as well as Al and Mn salts) is a common practice in water treatment for the removal of arsenic. The coprecipitation of arsenic with ferric or aluminum hydroxide has been a practical and effective technique to remove this toxic element from polluted waters... 

BiRON A biological process for removing iron from public water supplies. Developed in the UK by Biwater Europe Ltd and piloted in 1994 at a water treatment plant in Ipswich. 

Kepro [Kemira process] A process for recovering valuable products from municipal sewage sludge. It makes four products crude iron phosphate, a biofuel, water treatment chemicals, and a carbon source for denitrification in the sewage plant. Developed by Kemira Chemicals in the 1990s and first installed in Helsingboig, Sweden... 

Iron oxide-coated sand (IOCS), for arsenic removal, 3 279, 284-285 Iron oxide control, in industrial water treatment, 26 133 Iron oxide pastes, 19 402 Iron oxide pigments, 19 397-402 production of, 19 385 transparent, 19 412 economic aspects of, 14 557-559... 

Iron(II) porphyrin complexes, four-coordinate, 14 552-553 Iron(III) porphyrin complexes, 14 554 Iron porphyrins, 14 552-555 Iron(II) porphyrins, 14 553 Iron(III) porphyrins, 14 553 Iron(IV) porphyrins, 14 554 Iron production quicklime in, 15 61 sulfur use in, 23 591 Iron removal, in municipal water treatments, 26 124 Iron salts... 

Keywords constructed wetlands, passive biological water treatment, adsorbents, uranium, radium, arsenic, iron, manganese... 

Iron (II) chloride solution, for possible treatment in a pyrolysis plant or, more probably, for the production of flocculation chemicals used in sewage water treatment... 

Knocke WR, Conley L, van Benschoten JE. 1992. Impact of dissolved organic carbon on the removal of iron during water treatment. Water Res 26 1515-1522. 

The stability of iron oxide suspensions is relevant to fields as varied as the paint industry, extraction of iron from its ores, the structure of soils, hydrometallurgy and waste water treatment. The ease of homogensisation of paint, for example, is controlled by proper adjustment of the stability of the pigment suspensions. In ground waters, the settling behaviour of small iron oxide particles influences transportation of trace elements and radio-nuclides. The stability of a dispersion of magnetic particles can determine the quality of ferrofluids and magnetic tapes. 

Carlson, L. Schwertmann, U. (1981) Natural ferrihydrites in surface deposits from Finland and their association with silica. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 45 421-429 Carlson, L. Schwertmann, U. (1987) Iron and manganese oxides in Finnish ground water treatment plants. Wat. Res. 21 165-170 Carlson, L. Schwertmann, U. (1990) The effect of CO2 and oxidation rate on the formation of goethite versus lepidocrocite from an Fe(II) system at pH 6 and 7. Clay Min. 25 65-71... 

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