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2 Y Calculate the mass of sodium carbonate needed using the following formula:

Mass = (volume x mass percentage) / (2

- mass percentage)

For example, to make a 2 percent solution using 35
mL of water, use this equation to determine the amount of
sodium carbonate to use:

Mass = 35
x 2 / (2

- 2) = 47 73 g

 Y eigh the calculated amount of sodium carbonate on the scale

3 Y our water (35
Ll in our example) into the beaker, and add sodium carbonate
4 Y Mix the solution with the spoon or gently swirl the beaker until the salt dissolves completely

c


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2 Y Multiply molarity by the solution volume (in liters) and the number 2
---the molar mass of sodium carbonate---to
calculate the mass of sodium carbonate needed For example, to make 3

mL of
 molar solution, you will need:

 x
3 L x 2
 =  3 g

Note that 3

mL =
3 L

 Y eigh the calculated amount of sodium carbonate on the scale

3 Y our distilled water---
to 3
mL less than the final volume---into the beaker, then add sodium carbonate In our
example, start with 7
to 
mL of water
4 Y Mix the solution with a spoon or gently swirl the beaker until the salt dissolves completely
5 Y our the solution into the graduated cylinder and fill to the final volume with distilled water

£
 
£  

he chemical name for soda ash is sodium carbonate, chemical formula NaCO3 It is more basic, that is, less acidic,
than sodium bicarbonate (baking soda), whose chemical formula is NaHCO3 he purpose of sodium carbonate is
simply to increase pH

Its use in water treatment is to increase the pH of acidic waters he trick is how to do it and how much to use Below
are some suggestions and comments from a variety of sources

 
 


Mixing Soda Ash with water and feeding it with a pump to increase pH is a trial and error procedure It's best to start
with a small amount of your mixture so that you can make alterations as needed

he amounts below are a suggestion made by one source:

Mix  lbs of Soda Ash with 5 gallons of water Set your pump at 5
 or 
 capacity Let the unit run for a time, and
use water as you normally would, then check the pH a few feet downstream from the injection point If the pH isn't
where you want it, make adjustments

Adjustment can be made by adding Soda Ash, by adding water, or by adjusting the pump up or down Keep adjusting
until you get the pH exactly where you want it

Be sure to keep records, and keep in mind if the solution gets too strong, you may have to dump your mix and start
over
If you aren't able to get the pH as high as you want it, you may have to switch to Caustic Soda

Caustic Soda is about 3
 stronger than Soda Ash en pounds of Soda Ash in 
gallons of water is equal to
approximately 7 5 lbs of Caustic Soda in ten gallons of water

Caustic Soda is available in pool supply stores It's trickier to use than Soda Ash, so proceed with caution

   

 
 


2
 lbs of soda ash mixed with one gallon of water makes a solution of 2
 Soda Ash

 A 2
 soda ash solution is 2

,


parts per million soda ash

3 It is common to inject between 5
and 5

ppm soda ash to increase the pH of well water he amount you inject
depends on how much you need to raise the pH It is a process that usually involves some trial and error

c 
    

he amount of soda ash needed is actually determined by the amount of CO in the water being treated, and since
this is seldom known, trial and error is the normal procedure
According to a  A publication, ͞For each ppm of carbon dioxide in the water,  5 ppm of soda ash is needed for
neutralization If caustic soda were used, only
5 ppm would be needed to neutralize 2
ppm of CO

͞Often a starting solution dosage of four ounces of [of soda ash] per gallon of water is used

͞[here disinfection is needed], it is possible to feed a mixture of hypochlorite/soda ash simultaneously for dual
treatment

    
 


 

Soda ash dissolves readily in water to give a clear solution, however, it exhibits an unusual characteristic in that
maximum solubility is at the low temperature of 7ºF At that point, a saturated solution contains 33  NaCO3 by
weight A 2
 by weight soda ash solution is saturated at 4ºF It is recommended that a 3
 by weight soda ash
solution be stored at 2
ºF


!"##$" 
  
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2 Y Calculate the molar mass of the salt Molar mass is calculated as the sum of mass of all atoms in the molecule
Atomic weights of corresponding elements are given in the periodic table of the chemical elements (see
resources) In our example with sodium carbonate: Molar mass (NaCO3) = [ x M(Na)] + M(C) + [3 x M(O)] =
( x 3) + 2 + (3 x 2) = 2
 g/mole
 Y Multiply molarity and the solution volume (in liters), and then the molar mass of the salt to calculate the salt
mass needed In our example, mass (NaCO3) =
5 molar x
5 L x 2
 g/molar = 23 5 g Note that 5
ml is

5 L
3 Y eigh the calculated amount of the salt (Step ) on the scale and place the salt into the beaker
4 Y our the distilled water into the beaker he volume of the water added should be about 25 ml less than the
final volume In our example, you should add 35 ml
5 Y Swirl the beaker for 3 to 5 minutes to dissolve the salt You can also use a spoon to mix the solution
 Y hen the salt completely dissolves, pour the solution into the graduated cylinder and add the distilled water
to the final volume In our example, add water to the mark "5
ml "