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GLOSSARY OF TERMS
WATER CHEMISTRY, WATER TREATMENT, FUEL OIL TECHNOLOGY

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Energy Content of Various Fuels
ACID - The opposite of alkalies; materials with a pH below pH 7. Useful for dissolving calcium scale such as milkstone. Examples of liquid acids are muriatic, sulfuric, phosphoric; powdered acids are oxalic, sulfamic, citric, etc.; and the measure of how much hydrogen (in excess of hydroxide} is pH.

AIR WASHER - A system which cleans particulate matter from air by use of a water spray. It cleans air of dust, lint, petrochemical mists and other solids or discrete particles. May also be used to help remove water-soluble gases from air. If the air is clean enough, it may be recirculated to a factory or knitting mill, for instance.

ALGAE - Simple one cell plant life that transforms food to energy by photosynthesis(using light}. Can be very troublesome in cooling towers, ponds, swimming pools and other open water. Can be controlled by using a program of algaecides (algae killers}.

ALKALI - Opposite of acids. A material which gives a solution a pH above pH 7. When the right amount of an alkali and acid are mixed, they neutralize each other resulting in a pH of 7 and the formation of a salt in the solution. Strong alkalies are caustic soda, caustic potash and ammonia (first cousin of amines}. Salts which are somewhat alkaline include phosphates, borax, soda ash, silicates, etc., which have pH's ranging from about pH 8 to pH 12.

BACTERICIDAL - Causing the destruction of bacteria; applied especially to chemical agents that kill both pathogenic and non-pathogenic bacteria but not necessarily bacterial spores.

BACTERIOSTAT - A product that does not necessarily destroy all infectious bacteria quickly, but will retard or prevent their growth or multiplication; bacteriostatic describes the action of the product.

BLEEDOFF - {See Blowdown}

BLOWDOWN - The water continuously or intermittently purged from a system to remove sludge and keep total dissolved solids at a desired concentration. Blowdown is often expressed as a percentage of steam produced or as a percentage of the evaporation rate.

BOILERS - A vessel, at pressure above atmosphere into which water can be supplied and by the application of heat, evaporated continuously into steam. There are several types. Most commonly, they are Packaged Boilers and most packaged boilers are Fire-tube boilers. Marine boilers are the most common type of water tube boilers.

BOILER HORSEPOWER (BHP) - Capacity to produce 34.5 pounds of steam per hour. -,2-

CARBONATE - Carbonates are compounds of carbon, oxygen and one other element or group, represented in the cleaning field by "soda Ash" which is sodium carbonate (an ingredient of many alkaline cleaning compounds), and by LIME SCALE in dishwashing machines, which is a mixture of calcium carbonate and magnesium carbonate (derived from calcium and magnesium hardness in the water), plus, of course, other compounds, food soil and so forth.

CARRYOVER - In a steam boiler contaminating solid or liquid material that is conveyed with steam into the steam pipes.

CATALYST - Something to speed up a chemical reaction without entering into the reaction. For example, a catalytic converter for automobile exhausts helps change carbon monoxide into carbon dioxide without becoming part of the reaction. Something that causes things to happen at a faster rate.

CATIONIC - Having positively charged particles or ions. Surface-active agents are known as cationic when the ion imparting surface activity is a cation.

CHELATING AGENT - Chelating agents are organic chemicals which "sequester" or "lock up" or otherwise render non-interferent the Salts in water which form scale such as iron, calcium and magnesium carbonates.

CHILLER - The heat exchanger in an air conditioning system which refrigerates. The closed water system which actually cools the (recirculating) air in a building. A closed system.

COAGULANT - An agent that promotes the separation from a liquid of a gel mass, often a "flock", which brings together tiny solid particles into larger clumps in the liquid.

COILS - In a cooling system, the narrow metal pipes through which a refrigerant is carried in a heat exchanger, condenser, air wash system or chiller.

COLLOID - A colloid is something which "doesn't quite dissolve". In other words, it is neither like salt which quickly and totally dissolves in water, nor like sand which just as quickly and just as totally does NOT dissolve. It is tiny.

COMPRESSOR - In cooling systems, a mechanical devise used to put refrigerant from gaseous to liquidous state under pressure.

CYCLES OF CONCENTRATION (CYCLES) - A measure of the degree to which dissolved solids are being concentrated in the circulating water or in a boiler.

DEAERATOR - A heater used to reduce the amount of dissolved gas in a boiler feed-water tank.

DEFLOCCULATION OR DISPERSION - Is the action of breaking up aggregates or flocs into individual particles. These many small particles are then more easily suspended and flushed off equipment. Phosphates are good soil dispersion agents.

DISTRIBUTION PAN - Shallow pan at top of a cooling tower with holes through its floor through which the heated water is emptied into the tower filling. Used to break up the water to speed up evaporation rate.

DRIFT - Also referred to as "windage" or "carryover" - Water lost from the tower as liquid droplets carried out by the exhaust air; usually expressed as a percentage of the circulation rate. "Drift eliminators" cut down "drift".

ECOLOGY - Referring to the natural processes of the earth and the mutual relations between organisms and their environment.

EFFLUENT - The outflow, such as the liquid discharge, from sewage treatment plants.

EMBRITTLEMENT - Destructive action of highly concentrated caustic boiler water on steel. Results in irregular cracking of the tubes and sides of the boiler. In alkaline systems, inhibitors must be used to prevent this.

FEEDERS - Usually a mechanical device by which chemical treatment can be metered or slug fed into water systems. Often, pumps are used.

FIRE POINT - Temperature at which a combustible material not only flashes, but continues to burn.

FLASH POINT - The lowest temperature at which a combustible liquid will give off a flammable vapor which will burn momentarily when exposed to open flame. Two standards for testing are the Tag Open Cup (TOC) and the Tag Closed Cup (TCC).

FLUE - A channel for hot gas; tubes in fire tube boilers are flues.

FUEL HEATER, PREHEATER - The cooker or vessel in which fuel oil is brought up to ignition temperature before being injected into a combustion chamber.

HARDNESS - A measure of the calcium and magnesium ion content in water. Carbonate or alkaline hardness is due to bicarbonates, carbonates and hydroxides of these elements.

HEAT LOAD - Heat removed from the circulating water in a cooling tower. Usually expressed Btu's per hour or Tons of Refrigeration.

HYDROCARBON - Compounds of hydrogen and carbon only. Includes gasoline, napthas, fuel oils and kerosene. All are combustible.

INDICATOR CHEMICAL - A compound used in determining presence of a chemical condition, pH indicator is used to measure pH.

INLET AIR - Air flowing into a cooling tower; same as prevailing air in the area and is as changeable as weather and local conditions.

ION - A charged particle usually formed when a chemical dissolves. For example, when salt crystals (sodium chloride} dissolve they form positive charged sodium ions (action or NA+) and negative charged chloride ions (anion or C1-).

ION EXCHANGE RESIN - Plastic resin used in softeners and deionizers to exchange ions in water for other ions, such as calcium and magnesium for sodium ions in softening and for hydrogen in deionizing.

LANGELIER INDES (Saturation Index) - A measure by which water conditions can be determined as to carbonate solubility.

LD (Lethal Dose) - A measurement used in evaluating algaecides, bacteriocides and other chemical agents.

LOUVERS - Slats in a cooling tower to maximize contact between the air and water droplets and increase evaporation rate.

MAKEUP - Water added to a boiler feed water tank or to a cooling tower sump to replace water or steam lost from the system by evaporation, leaks, windage or usage.

MHOS -A unit used in measuring conductance. In process water, the higher the mhos (or micro-mhos) the greater is the proportion of dissolved solids.

MICRO-ORGANISM - A tiny living organism, usually only visible under a microscope. Bacteria (rod shaped), spiral organisms, viruses, molds, spores, and yeast are examples.

OPEN SPRAY SYSTEM - A simple method of increasing evaporation and thus cooling. Also used to aerate effluent water to promote oxidation.

ORGANIC - Relating to or designating those types of chemicals which are composed of compounds of carbon. Generally, they are derived from living matter or from petroleum and vegetable oils.

PEPTIZING - The physical formation of colloidal solutions from soils which may be only partially soluble. This action is in part similar to dispersion, but is particularly applicable to materials such as protein soils. These are partially insoluble. Thus, the peptizing action is of great importance.

pH - The measure of hydrogen ion ("free" hydrogen) concentration on a scale of 0 to 14. From 0 to 7.0, indicates ACID, the lower the number the stronger the acid. From 7.1 to 14 is basic or ALKALINE, and the higher the number, the stronger the alkalinity.

PPM - Abbreviation used for parts per million. Used as a measurement to determine the amount of any substance present in proportion to the amount of water or other substance in which it is found. So many parts of the substance in a million parts of water (or other substance).

PRECIPITATION - The formation of solid particles in a solution, or the settling or rising up of small particles in a liquid medium.

PRESSURE - Pressure is a measure of the amount of mechanical energy being supplied in a system by pump or steam development.

QUATERNARY - Often shortened to "quats" in conversation, this refers to chemicals which are killing agents against various micro-organisms but particularly against the molds and algae which cause slime, "black moss", bad odor and other troubles in cooling towers. They are cationic compounds exhibiting germicidal as well as detergent properties.

RANGE - In a cooling tower, "cooling range", the difference between hot water temperature and the cold water temperature. Ideally, this could be 10ºF.

RETENTION TIME - The time it takes water to fall from distribution pan to the basin or sump; the time evaporation takes place. In Sewage Treatment - the time retained in a system in which degradation, settling, digestion Or other actions can take place.

SALT - A compound which, with water, is formed by the reaction of an acid with a base. Most salts encountered in the cleaning industry are alkaline salts, such as sodium carbonate, with a pH higher than 7.0. Common table salt is only one of the many chemical salts.

SANITARY - State of being clean and germ free.

SATURATION - A solution is saturated when it has dissolved all of the material being dissolved that it is capable of accepting at the temperature existing.

SCALE - This refers to the rock-like deposit which builds up as the calcium and magnesium in hard water are gradually precipitated at higher temperatures, or inadequate concentrations of adequate dispersants.

SEQUESTERING AGENTS - Materials which react with other substances to form soluble complexes.

SLIME - When molds or similar microscopic flora grow unchecked, they form slime, leading to bad odors and corrosion.

SOFT or SOFTENED WATER - Water which has had hardness removed to below 5 ppm.

SPRAY NOZZLE - Used to break up the flow of water into droplets and uniform spreading the water over as much an area as can be to promote maximum surface contact with air to promote oxidation, evaporation or to maximize contact with air born particles to wet them and remove them from the air stream. In fuel technology, used to promote good combustion.

SPECIFIC GRAVITY - The ratio of the weight of a substance compared to an equal volume of water. Water has a S.G. of 1.0, oils and fuels are less than 1.0. Rocks, salts, steel and things which do not float, have S.G. values greater than 1.0.

SUMP - Lowest portion of collection basin in a tower; the place where the suction connection is made.

SURFACE TENSION - The attraction between the molecules of a liquid which causes a liquid to form round droplets. thus, high surface tension tends to pull a liquid into a ball and works against spreading of a film on the surface. A reduction of this force in water by a detergent allows the fluid to flow out and wet and penetrate a surface. For fuel oils, a reduction allows for better contact with air for better combustion.

SLUDGE - Boilers - the precipitated solids which result from increased concentration exceeding solubility. Fuel oils - complex hydrocarbons resulting from polymerization after refining or naturally occurring in crude oil.

SURFACTANT - A surface active agent which alters the characteristics of particles. In residual fuels, surfactants can break up sludge. In boilers they may be used to condition sludge.

SUSPENSION - Is the action which holds up insoluble particles in a solvent. This action prevents the settling of solids which might form deposits. It also makes it easy to flush the insoluble particles from equipment or from boilers.

TITRATION - A chemical analysis procedure by which a volumetric analysis can be made by adding a known volume of a standard solution to an unknown to the point at which a reaction has been completed (the end point). Often an indicator is used to define the conversion.

TONS IN REFRIGERATION - A measure of cooling capacity. A ton of refrigeration is equal to the amount of Btu's needed to raise the temperature of one ton of ice at 32°F to water at 32°F, usually used as a rate, such as tons per hour or say. A "ton" is equivalent to 200 Btu's per minute

TURBIDITY - In waste water, that solid contaminating material which is more or less suspended in the water. Measured as resistance to light passing through a volume of water. Turbid water is "opaque"; pure water without TURBIDITY is transparent to light and is thus "clear".

TOXIC - A synonym for poisonous, remembering that many substances are toxic or non-toxic depending on how they are used. A sprinkling of salt on steak is appetizing and wholesome; a cupful of salt gulped at a swallow would impair health badly. Good quality detergents use chemicals which contain very low amounts of any toxic elements and are therefore safe even if they are not completely rinsed from a surface and are accidentally ingested. Toxicity of compounds are expressed as LD50, which shows the dose that causes the death of 50% of the test animals.

VISCOSITY - A measure of the ease with which a material flows. Thus, something with high viscosity flows with difficulty; water, a nonviscous material, flows readily; the resistance to flow exhibited by a liquid resulting from the combined effects of cohesion and adhesion. The unit measure of this "body" of a liquid is the centipoise. Zahan and Brookfield instruments are used to measure viscosity. The heavier viscosity slows down evaporation so that detergents will not dry out during the soaking period. It also gives the appearance of having more solids.

WATER SOFTENING - Is the removal or inactivation of the hardness of water. Orthophosphates, such as trisodium phosphate, and alkalies soften water by precipitating the hardness. The complex or polyphosphates soften water by sequestering the hardness. The chelation agents soften water by forming soluble compounds called chelates. Water softening minerals soften water by exchanging the hardness constituents for compounds which are not hardness constituents.

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ENERGY CONTENT OF VARIOUS FUELS
1 lb Bituminus coal	11,500 Btu
1 lb Residual Oil	19,300 Btu
1 lb Refined Oil	18,500 Btu
1 lb Natural Gas	22,800 Btu
1 KWH	3,412 Btu
1 Mechanical HP	2,545 Btu

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Telephone (404) 344-9580    Fax (404) 349-2240    E-mail sales@kor-chem.com