Taiwan develops water-softening process that turns waste into reusable material

台灣研發軟水處理技術 將廢棄物轉化為可再利用材料

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan Water Corporation said Monday that it had developed a new water-treatment process with the Industrial Technology Research Institute, according to a press release.

Some raw water sources used to produce tap water contain relatively high concentrations of minerals such as calcium and magnesium, which can affect the water’s taste. Existing softening methods produce lower-purity crystals with limited applications, some of which must be removed off-site, adding to operating costs.

The company and research institute developed a new fluidized-bed reactor that uses smaller quantities of chemical agents while promoting more stable crystal growth. The process raises the calcium carbonate purity of the resulting crystals from about 80% to between 96% and 98%.

The higher-quality byproduct can be used to manufacture plastics, paper, coatings and building materials.

Taiwan Water plans to expand testing of the process and assess its introduction at water purification facilities. The crystallization and separation technology could also be applied to industrial wastewater recycling, including wastewater from semiconductor manufacturing in areas such as the Southern Taiwan Science Park, according to ITRI.