Physical water treatment – ScaleBuster | Technologies

ABOUT

Physical water treatment – ScaleBuster

ION Enterprises proprietary patented ION ScaleBuster® technology that has been utilized for environmentally friendly water conditioning by the residential, commercial, industrial and municipal markets for more than 30 years. The technology has been used by some of the world's largest commercial and industrial companies to treat scaling, corrosion and other water challenges.

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Scale and corrosion forms in pipes and on internal equipment surfaces and this restricts water flow, clogs systems and reduces system efficiency resulting in costly equipment down time and increased maintenance costs.

Using chemicals to treat these conditions result in high chemical disposal costs, pollution of the environment and related health and safety issues.

Scale and fouling

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Degrades performance thus increasing energy and water usage.

Corrosion

Reduces equipment life span and increases capital spending.

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The Solution

The basic and primary function of the ION ScaleBuster® as a physical water conditioner is to inhibit and prevent scale and corrosion formation in general pipework, heating systems, plumbing equipment, appliances and processing equipment. The patented electrostatic conditioner operates without any electrical power and has no moving components. The electrostatic device uses the dielectric characteristics of the materials used in its construction. Combined with the hydraulic conditions present during operation it forces the precipitation of solid crystals from the water. This prevents scale and corrosion from forming and conditions the water to absorb scale that is already attached to internal surfaces.

Advantages of the technology

Benefits

Reduction in operating costs Reduction in maintenance Reduction in energy use
No consumables e.g. filters and cartridges
Improvement of health and safety
Increased equipment lifespan
Reduction in downtime
Reduction of chemicals handling and storage

Appication

The range of applications in which ION ScaleBuster® can be used is extensive. Experience of over 30 years with the ION ScaleBuster® technology shows that the

fundamental requirements vary depending on water systems, system layout and equipment to be protected.

The requirements will also vary depending on whether the product is for new construction or the refurbishment of an existing system. ION Enterprises established a family of products to cover the range of installations from individual appliance protection and building usage through to large heavy industrial process applications.

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How it works

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The ScaleBuster® is a physical water conditioner that inhibits scale and corrosion.

The electrostatic device uses the characteristics of the dielectric and metallic materials of construction and the hydraulic conditions present during operation to temporarily disturb the carbonate/bicarbonate equilibrium reactions and force the precipitation of calcium carbonate crystals in the water. Note that this occurs even when the saturation index for the water indicates that the water does not have a scaling tendency.

The water around the newly created calcium carbonate particles is now unsaturated and seeks to re-dissolve any calcium carbonate it comes in contact with. This includes calcium carbonate scale already present on pipe and heat exchanger surfaces. In fact, scale on pipe and equipment walls tends to dissolve back into solution faster than the newly formed particles, because water flow contact on surfaces is more intense than on particles borne along within the flow. The form of calcium carbonate created by the electrostatic device is aragonite instead of calcite. Aragonite forms soft scale deposits that are easily brushed from surfaces as opposed to calcite which forms hard scale deposits that are difficult to remove.