The Effect of Magnetic Treatment on Retarding Scaling Deposition

Abstract

The magnetic treatment method has been applied as a scale deposition controlling and/or preventing tool for several decades in the domestic and industrial water systems. However, most of the scientific communities have remained skeptical about the viability of this water treatment method. However, the attention paid to magnetic treatment has increased during the last years as a prevention method. Hence, a literature review was carried out to seek both positive and negative results. However, a review of the available literature is rather confusing. An experimental laboratory study on the effect of magnetic treatment method was conducted at the Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research's (KISR's) Doha Laboratory for reverse osmosis plant to investigate the effect of magnetic treatment in preventing and/or retarding scaling. Thus, the effect of magnetic treatment in retarding calcium carbonate, calcium sulfate and barium sulfate scaling was investigated within two different configurations (open and closed loop) and by using different techniques at ambient temperature. The current paper summarizes the literature survey and expresses the results of experimental work. The results showed that the magnetic treatment was effective in increasing the retention time required for scaling. Nonetheless, further investigation is recommended to optimize magnetic power, flow rate and operating temperature

Keywords

• Barium sulfate (BaSO4), Calcium Carbonate (CaCO3), Calcium Sulfate (CaSO4), Magnetic Treatment

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