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hard water
(redirected from Water softness)

   Also found in: Medical, Wikipedia, Hutchinson 0.06 sec.

hard water

Water that contains mineral salts of calcium and magnesium, principally as bicarbonates, chlorides, and sulfates, and sometimes iron. Hardness caused by calcium bicarbonate is known as temporary, because boiling converts the bicarbonate to the insoluble carbonate; hardness from the other salts is called permanent. The calcium and magnesium in hard waters form a hard, adherent scale on boiler plates, increasing fuel consumption and leading to deterioration through overheating. Home water softeners consist of tanks containing zeolite minerals or ion-exchange resins, which contain sodium ions that change places with the calcium and magnesium.


hard water [′härd ¦wȯd·ər]
(chemistry)
Water that contains certain salts, such as those of calcium or magnesium, which form insoluble deposits in boilers and form precipitates with soap.


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Although water softness and pH influence the leaching rate of metals (e.
Results obtained in this study were consistent with Slayton's findings: In wells, shale bedrock appears to be the most significant contributing factor for natural water softness and higher levels of boron.
But water softness may play nearly as big a role as acidity in leaching toxis metalsM a new study finds.
 
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