Kobe TriCo - RTD

A chemical-free method for the microtreatment of 

water for the protection of the environment and 

vulnerable ecosystems 

Spomenka Kobe, , Goran Dražić 

Meta Vedenik – Novak 

“Jozef Stefan” Institute, Ljubljana, Slovenia 

Termoelektrarna – Toplarna Ljubljana, Slovenia 

Nanostructured 

Materials

Problem 

! The formation of calcium carbonate is not 

only a common ionic reaction that takes place 

in natural processes, but consequences also a 

problem known as scaling, which is present in 

our every day’s life and in various industrial 

processes and technologies. 


Materials

Scale formation (tap water pipes) 

heating of tap water calcium carbonate scale 

prevention: chemicals 

chemical pollution of the environment 

4 cm thick scale in the 

tap water tube 

http://www.dhvi.com/applications_fluidentry.htm

Chemical Water Treatment 

! Chemicals 

! Polyphosphates 

detrimental for the 

environment 

! Not easy to control 

the quantity due to 

the variations in the 

amount of carbonates 

in hard water 

! Harmful to the health of 

humans, if such water is 

used as drinking water. 

! Polyphosphates 

decompose at higher T 

than 60 o C and as such 

are useless anyway 


Materials

Possible solution - physical method 

nucleation and crystallization of calcium carbonate can be influenced by a 

magnetic field 

1945: First patent (Belgium) 

commercial devices are used for decades 

Reported effects: 

2002: How it works (Does it work at all) 

•decrease of scale formation 

•decrease of the nucleation rate of CaCO 3 

•formation of soft scale with different structure 

•increase ratio of aragonite / calcite 

•memory effect 

•particle size

Explanations 

Hypothesis: 

•changes in structure of (liquid) water 

•changes in electro-kinetic zeta potential 

•direct effect of the magnetic field on precipitation 

•heterogeneous nucleation of CaCO3 on FeOOH (goethite) 

•the influence of Zn 2+ and Cu 2+ (and Si 4+ ) ions 

•Lorentz-force induced deformation of diffuse layer 

Scope of our previous work: 

preliminary study of nucleation & crystallization using various 

analytical methods (FT-IR, X-ray, electron microscopy)

The inovation 

! It was confirmed that the density of the magnetic field 

has an important impact on the amounts of the different 

crystal forms of CaCO 3 

. 

! The soft scale of aragonite or vaterite formed with the 

influence of the applied magnetic field is washed away 

from the exposed surfaces or can be easily removed. 

There is no doubt that magnetic water treatment works 

in practice, and this is now already confirmed by 

applying sophisticated quantum mechanical calculations 

to explain the phenomenon. In addition, the 

experimental results can be explained by applying the 

magneto hydrodynamic equations of flow. 


Materials

Magnetic Water Treatment 

! The magnetic treatment of water is becoming an 

important alternative to the chemical treatment in 

preventing a lime scale formation in industrial and 

some other commercial water systems (e.g. 

heating boilers). 

! Scale deposits increase operating and 

maintenance costs by lowering the flow capacities 

and increasing the energy consumption of pumps in 

cool water systems and by lowering the heat 

transfer in hot water systems with heat exchangers 

and evaporators. 


Materials

Previous work - laboratory 

Model solution 

•dissolving fine CaCO 3 powder by bubbling CO 2 gas 

•membrane filtering 

•equilibrium system of CaCO 3 -Ca(HCO 3 ) 2 -H 2 O 

TEM sample 

C/Cu grid 

Precipitation: 

•heating (CO 2 is removed) 

•blowing air through the solution (0.05 - 0.5 l/min)

Experimental results- laboratory 

XRD spectra of treated samples: 

MWT - in magnetic field (1.4T) and 

NT - without the magnetic field

Experimental results- laboratory 

Nucleation 

Early stages of crystallization 

Phase identification 

Chemical composition (elemental) 

Estimating the fraction of various phases 

TEM 

Jeol 2000 FX,Jeol 2010 F (FEG) 

EDXS 

Link Isis

Experimental results-TEM - 

morphology 

magnetic field without the field

HRTEM and X-ray studies 

Quantitative X-ray analyses of crystallization products 

Sample 

Magnetic 

field 

Calcite 

(%) 

Aragon. 

(%) 

1 No 90.2 9.6 0.2 

2 400 mT 80.0 10.4 9.6 

3 1220 mT 28.9 70.6 0.5 

Vaterite 

(%) 

HRTEM of different crystal 

forms of CaCO 3 


Materials

The inovation 

! A pilot magnetic water treatment device was developed 

and constructed at “Jozef Stefan” Institute and tested in 

practice – pilot plant in a district heating system in 

Ljubljana, Bežigrad. 

! The strong influence of the applied magnetic field on the 

nucleation and further crystallization of calcium 

carbonate in hard water was confirmed in the laboratory 

work with p.a. chemicals and 

! in the pilot plant in a district heating system with the tap 

water. 


Materials

Our contribution 

! The focus of our proposed project is to follow 

systematically the influence of the magnetic field 

on the crystal form of precipitated calcium 

carbonate. 

! in the laboratory scale and 

! together with the industrial partner (Termoelektrarna- 

Toplarna Ljubljana on the industrial level (pilot plant) 


Materials


! From the results of our preliminary work it is expected 

that by the changing the strength of the magnetic field 

and the flow rate of the water through the system the 

calcite/aragonite/vaterite ratio will be varied. 

! The crystal form and the particle-size distribution of 

the precipitated calcium carbonate will be determined by 

using X-ray analyses and HREM. 

! On the industrial level a prototype of a water treatment 

device will be constructed and tested through the period 

of the project. 


Materials


! The theoretical part of the work will be to study the 

mechanism(s) of the influence of magnetic filed on the 

nucleation and further crystallization of calcium 

carbonate. 

! Starting from the ab initio calculations the 

fundamental physics knowledge will be used to propose 

the mechanism(s) for better understanding of the 

phenomena. 


Materials

Experimental results-pilot plant 

2,5 

Total weight increase 

2 

Chemical 

IJS 

Commercial 

Weight increase (g) 

1,5 

1 

0,5 

0 

jun.97 sep.97 jan.98 apr.98 jul.98 nov.98 feb.99 maj.99 avg.99 dec.99 

Time (months) 


Materials

Type and role/expertise of the partner we need 

! SME for the production of MWTD’s 

! Governmental/Public Administration 


Materials

Expected contribution of partners 

! Expected contribution of the SME is to 

produce the devices for water treatment. 

! Expected contribution of Governmental/Public 

Administration is to participate its part in the 

policy for not using environmentally detrimental 

chemicals in preventing scaling, but the physical 

method,

Contribution of partners 

! which will on one hand contribute to the clean 

environment and protect vulnerable ecosystems, 

and 

! and contribute to the energy savings in the district 

heating systems and in industrial application. By 

using the physical method we will not only 

contribute to the clean environment, but also save 

the money, which is spend on chemicals.

Kobe TriCo - RTD

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