The hardness of water is the result of the presence of salts of magnesium and calcium. If carbonates and bicarbonates of these metals are present, then the hardness is temporary. The presence of nitrates, sulphates and chlorides of calcium and magnesium causes permanent hardness. Hard water deters the formation of lather with soap and detergents and also causes the scaling of water containers, boilers, etc.
The hardness of the water can be removed in a number of ways. The temporary hardness of water can be partially removed by boiling the water. This is the reason we sometimes observe white floating material in water after boiling. Excess amount of lime will also help remove temporary hardness. To remove permanent hardness, a lime-soda ash treatment process or demineralization or zeolite process can be used. The last two (demineralization and the zeolite process) are ion-exchange processes and can help achieve a zero-hardness water.
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