Softening

Water softening is a process used to reduce water hardness by removing calcium and magnesium ions, which are responsible for hardness.

There are several methods for water softening, including ion exchange, reverse osmosis, and chemical softening. One of the most commonly used methods is ion exchange, where calcium and magnesium ions are replaced with sodium ions. This occurs as water passes through a resin bed loaded with sodium ions. The calcium and magnesium ions bind to the resin, while sodium ions are released into the water, effectively softening it.

Water softening helps to extend the lifespan of water treatment systems, reduce the consumption of cleaning chemicals, and improve the quality of treated water for pharmaceutical applications.