ABSTRACT
As mentioned in Chapter 10 on water softening, as long as the concentrations of CaCO
and Mg(OH)
exceed their solubilities, the solids may continue to precipitate. This condition can cause scale to form, a solid that deposits due to precipitation of ions in solution. To prevent scale formation, the water must be stabilized. A water is said to be stable when it neither dissolves nor deposits precipitates. If the pH is high, stabilization may be accomplished using one of several acids or using CO
, a
process called
recarbonation
. If the pH is low, stabilization may be accomplished using lime or some other bases.
