water analysis for industry purposes

 

Title:  water analysis for industry purposes

 

 

 

Description: 

 

 

·    What is the purpose of analysis of water?

 

Water chemistry analyses are carried out to identify and quantify the chemical components and properties of water samples. The type and sensitivity of the analysis depends on the purpose of the analysis and the anticipated use of the water.

 

 

 

·    Why is it important to analyze water quality?

Water quality monitoring can help researchers predict and learn from natural processes in the environment and determine human impacts on an ecosystem. These measurement efforts can also assist in restoration projects or ensure environmental standards are being met.

 

 

Outcomes

How is water used in the refinery process?

 

The majority of water used in the refinery industry is for cooling. In the distillation process, coolers condense the vapors into liquid products, which allow them to be easily handled. This water is typically reused. The second highest use for water is the makeup water for boiler and feed. Steam used for stripping, steam distillation, and vacuum distillation becomes heavily contaminated when it contacts products. This water cannot be reused as boiler feed, so new water is required to make up water loss. On the other hand, condensate from the condensers is generally reused as boiler feed or as makeup water for other needs. A small portion of water is used for the plant operational processes, sanitary purposes, and other services.

 

 

Why is industrial water testing necessary?

In general, different refinery processes require different qualities of water:

• Cooling water generally needs to be able to resist corrosion and reduce organic slimes and sediment formation.
• Circulating water systems often have fouling and corrosion problems without chemical treatment. Boilers and cooling water, for example, are treated with amines to neutralize the acidic build-up that may damage the facility.
• Boiler feed water makeup requires higher quality water to prevent excessive corrosion and scale formation. Although the modern system may not even need annual cleaning, it is important to check impurities in boiler water to make sure it delivers satisfactory results.

As in other power plants, refinery power plants need to monitor the ionic impurities in various water streams, such as boiler water, cooling water, feed water, and condensate water. By understanding the level of contamination, facility operators can take actions to reduce the damage from corrosion, deposition, and scaling. Industrial water testing is, therefore, essential for quality control and process optimization in the refinery.

 

 

Industrial water testing

 

Monitoring ionic impurity in various water streams can include:

• Trace sodium and transition metals
• Trace anions in high purity water
• Chloride and sulfate

These anions and cations can be analyzed by modern ion chromatography (IC) techniques, with solutions to several challenges including:

• Detection of trace level of analyte (such as sodium) in a background of high ionic-strength matrices (amines). Thanks to the development of high capacity cation-exchange columns, this challenge has been minimized.
• Preconcentration of a sample when trace anions (low µg/L) are quantified. Preconcentration requires extra hardware such as a concentration column and pump, and takes extra time. Using gradient separation, trace anions can be analyzed with direct injection.

 

What is the importance of water quality analysis?

Reliable water analysis is critical to eliminating corrosion and scaling that can damage valuable industrial components and to ensure regulatory compliance. A superior quality of water is crucial to the economic, health, and social well-being of the people. Monitoring the quality of your water and testing it regularly is very important to maintain reliable and safe water sources and eliminate the potential health risks related to water contamination.

Types of Water Testing Methods

There are a wide range of water quality tests used to help determine how safe, or even drinkable, water is to be used in a household setting or otherwise that water test labs perform. These different types of tests help determine if specific materials of contaminants have infected a body of water, and help inform how it needs to be further treated. Here are just a few types of water testing methods.

Bacteria Tests

There are a range of potential bacterial contaminants that can plague water. One of the most common and most looked for is E. coli bacteria, which comes from fecal matter exposure and can result in serious health issues when consumed. Bacteria testing is essential in determining how safe water is to drink or expose to your skin.

Mineral Tests

The list of mineral testing available could be a thesis paper, for how many there are. A few common and important mineral tests include chlorine and chloride, nitrate and nitrite, lead, copper, iron, zinc, potassium, and sodium. This wide range of mineral testing is essential and relevant in determining water quality, as different regions or areas of terrain may have more of a buildup of certain types of minerals, which informs what kind of mineral treatments the water actually needs in order to be purified.

pH Testing

What is pH? If middle school science class feels like an age and a day behind you, here’s a quick reminder. pH is a measure of the concentration of hydrogen ions in a solution. The more of these hydrogen ions there are in a solution, the more acidic that water is. Acidity effects taste of water, but it can also affect how health water is to consume. Drinking water that’s not neutral enough in acidity can make people sick