Magnetic treatment of calcium carbonate scale—effect of pH control

Results from a preliminary study into the effects of magnetic treatment on calcium carbonate formation are presented. A test rig was constructed to investigate the effect of orthogonally applied magnetic fields on solutions of calcium carbonate, with specific reference to changes in scale deposits formed. Results are compared with those of a reference system, identical in every way other than the application of the magnetic field. The results from this study indicated that magnetic treatment significantly influenced the deposition of calcium carbonate scale, under the controlled physico-chemical conditions employed. A scale reduction of 48% was recorded when the system was uncontrolled compared with negligible change when the system pH was controlled. In the uncontrolled system pH was shown to drop initially during magnetic treatment compared to that of the reference system. A pH regulated at 8 and 8.5 led to increased scaling and reaction rate but any effect magnetic treatment had on scale formation was apparently destroyed. It was concluded that pH plays an important role in the mechanism by which magnetic fields affect scaling in flowing systems.