What Causes Hard Water?

Calcium carbonate, naturally exists in two forms limestone and marble. Limestone has a number of impurities which are predominantly Silica, Alumina , and calcium sulphate which act as bonding agents.

CaCO3 is only very slightly soluble in water, yet large amounts of calcium become dissolved in most water supplies. This is because as rain water falls to earth it encounters carbon dioxide and reacts with it to form a mild acid (Carbonic Acid). Thus as rain water comes into contact with limestone in the earth, the limestone dissolves and goes into solution with the water. Surface waters also encounter carbon dioxide from the decay of organic materials. As these waters contact limestone, the limestone gradually dissolves and goes into solution.

Under close investigation of industrial systems where scale is formed, the scale is mainly Calcium Carbonate or Magnesium Carbonate but also Silica, Alumina or Calcium Sulphate are required as binders to make the scale form.

 

Please watch this simulation
     

   
   

How does AquaVantage work?

The AquaVantage waveform changes the Ionic state of the molecules in the solution being treated. This physical ionic change repels Silica, Alumina and Iron which normally act as binders and make scale form. Free electrons are generated which allow Ca (Calcium) and Mg (Magnesium) to dissociate from CO3 (Carbonate), SO4 (Sulphate) and HCO3 (Hyrdocarbonate) and assume their neutral atomic states, thus stopping scale forming and removing scale deposits. On evaporation only neutral minerals form and any Calcium Carbonate left will form as neutral Aragonite instead of Calcite as shown below 


Electron Microscope evidence of the physical

changes generated by AquaVantage

Sample (A) before treatment
magnification level 2000 x
Calcite crystals

Sample (B) after treatment
magnification level 2000 x
Aragonite crystals

 

What is Aragonite?

Aragonite is the orthorhombic crystalline  from of Calcium Carbonate. Aragonite is stable at high pressures but will normally revert to the Calcite crystal formation. Aragonite is also19 times more soluble than Calcite. If a saturation condition occurs the Calcium Carbonate will precipitate as Aragonite and be easily dispersed when the saturation condition is over.
Aragonite occurs in only two instances naturally in the world. Natural oyster pearls are largely formed from Aragonite and  as flos ferri. Flos ferri is a massive form of Aragonite (not the individual crystal form produced by AquaVantage) where the masses can resemble coralline growth and is usually deposited by hot springs.

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