How Does It Work?
By applying a simple, yet totally natural water treatment process, the Care-Free Water Conditioner helps neutralise the adverse effects of many of the undesirable substances in your water supply.
The Care-Free Water Conditioner is an in-line catalytic water treatment system. It operates by a combination of the following:
- Turbulence of the water through a specially designed catalytic chamber; and
- The creation of a small electrical field around the chamber casing.
This combination causes a separation of the mineral particles in the water, which changes their behaviour.
Particles, which were previously attracted to each other now repel and separate into smaller individual particles. This allows the “separated” mineral particles and salts to flow through the system with minimal interference.
Corrosive gases are released during conditioning and move through the water as harmless bubbles. They are expelled into the atmosphere when water leaves the tap.
To put it simply, the Care-Free Conditioner eliminates the cohesion that exists between the mineral particles in the water.
This is clearly seen in the before and after photos below.
Mineral Particles After Care-Free
Scientific Analysis has shown that the mineral particle size has reduced from 100-400 microns for untreated water, to around 30 microns for Care-Free treated water.
For example, you can compare this reduction in micron size from the size of your fist to the size of your fingernail.
(Electron Microscope Photographs. Mag. x 1400)
Care-Free and Scale Reduction
Calcium Carbonate (CaCO3) is the main cause of scale problems and costs industry and homeowners billions of dollars each year.
It appears in predominately two forms. Calcite (CaCO3) and Aragonite (CaCO3). Although they share identical chemical compositions, they have completely different crystalline structures.
Calcite precipitates to form hard-to-remove whitish scale. Aragonite precipitates at a higher temperature, is much softer and more easily removed.
Testing by the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) confirmed that the crystalline structure of Calcium Carbonate in its Calcite form was changed to Aragonite when the Care-Free Conditioner was used.
Hence its easy removal.
CALCITE
Chemical Formula: CaCO3
Molecular Weight: 100.09g
Calcium: 40.04% Ca
Carbon: 12.00% C
Oxygen: 47.96% O
ARAGONITE
Chemical Formula: CaCO3
Molecular Weight: 100.09g
Calcium: 40.04% Ca
Carbon: 12.00% C
Oxygen: 47.96% O
“There are three common forms of calcium carbonate, aragonite, calcite and vaterite. These materials are composed of the same chemicals and for all purposes have the same compositions, i.e the chemical formula is CaCO3). However the atoms of the minerals are arranged differently in space – this is called polymorphism.
Because these minerals are arranged differently in space, they have different properties. As you can imagine, some of these structures are stronger than others. For example, the solubility product of calcite is roughly a half of the solubility product of aragonite. Calcite is more insoluble in hot water (about 4 times for a 50 degree celcius temperature range) and thus is liable to drop out and form on hot surfaces. Aragonite forms at higher temperatures and tends to stay in solution longer. Thus it is likely to be present but still in solution.
We have conducted preliminary tests to show that aragonite forms at higher temperatures than calcite and that aragonite is preferentially formed when the Care-Free Conditioner was used. Techniques used were XRD, particle size measurements, and SEM.“
Dr Gary Lee BSc (Hons) PhD, Aqueous Geochemist, ANSTO
RESEARCH THESIS: Improved Scale Control Through Physical Turbulent Conditioning
By Luke Scott B.Eng. Hons1, M.Eng
University of Wollongong, Published 2013
ABSTRACT
A study of global water supply has been made. Five billion people are predicted to die between 2040 and 2060 if nothing is done. A brief review of the water situation in Sydney, Australia and surrounding areas is also presented. Desalination may present a solution, if effective scale control can be achieved.
An extensive study of scaling, calcium carbonate polymorphs, and existing scale control mechanisms and methods has been made. Many methods appear to exploit the same mechanism: changing a portion of calcium carbonate scale in its tenacious calcite form to the more easily removed aragonite. However, the mechanism behind changing forms is not known, and is currently impossible to test. There are many postulates, but no definitive proofs.
Investigations were made into an existing scaling control system known as the Care-Free Conditioner to determine its impacts on calcium carbonate scale. The system suits remote areas that have ‘hard water’ problems and little access to expensive treatments. The device relies on turbulence, and does not use magnets or electric currents. Tests have been made on the conditioner’s effects on particle size and scale morphology. The Care-Free Conditioner significantly reduces suspended calcium carbonate particle size by up to 50%. X-Ray Diffraction tests prove the Conditioner’s ability to change up to 70.2% of scale from calcite to aragonite, if the calcium carbonate was dissolved during conditioning. It does not change the morphology of suspended solid particles.
Computational Fluid Dynamics models of old and new Conditioner designs have quantified that the new spiral design at a flow rate of 10L/min produces 7.2 times the average turbulent kinetic energy (k) and 131 times the average turbulent energy dissipation (ε) of the old Venturi design at the same flow rate. There is room for further improvement, as the old and new designs have the bulk of their turbulence generated in the front half, with little at the end. Turbulent features of the old and new designs have also been quantified for a range of flow rates.
Turbulence results from CFD modelling have been combined with polymorph ratios calculated from XRD analysis to determine the optimum flow rate for calcite transformation. Results suggest a threshold value close to 2.45 x 10-3 J/kg for average k and 0.272 J/kg.s for average ε. Increasing flow rate and dissipating more energy beyond those values reduces the effect, and increases the amount of calcite. A possible mechanism has been described.
Turbulence results from CFD modelling have also been combined with particle size results to determine the optimum flow rate for particle reduction. The best result of a 50.0% reduction in particle size occurred at a flow rate of 0.193 kg/s. Results suggest that there is a threshold value at a flow rate of 0.11 kg/s (average k of 2.5 x 10-2 J/kg and average ε of 17.2 J/kg.s) for reducing particle size. Increasing the turbulence beyond that value does not significantly change particle size. The new design was shown to reduce particle size 35.3% more than the old design at the same flow rate.
The Care-Free Conditioner significantly reduces scaling problems in remote areas without expensive treatment by changing dissolved calcite to aragonite, and reducing suspended solid particle size.
The new design generates substantially more turbulence than the old design. Both can still be improved, as each design generates turbulence mainly in the front half, with comparatively little at the end.
This is the first time such findings have been achieved. These will contribute significantly towards the Care-Free Conditioner’s acceptance in the market, and in developing future Care-Free Conditioner designs.
Contact us if you would like to obtain your copy of the 300+ page research report.
ANSTO Hydrogeologist explains how Care-Free lowers soil salinity
“I will emphasise that there is no difference in EC from input water to output water from a Care-Free Water Conditioner. What we have found out at ANSTO by undertaking a range of tests on the device, in relation to particle size analysis, in the colloidal fraction, is that the distribution of the particle size of colloids is reduced significantly. That is, there is an increase in the portion of particles at the lower colloidal size once saline water has passed through the device.
By reducing the size of particles, the device influences the impact of the saline water, which has stayed in the same EC, and allows the salts, or should I say the ions which also vary in ionic radii, to pass downward through the soils below the root zone. Hence, why there are observed salinity reductions in the soils where trials have taken place. The irrigated water has had particle size reduction take place allowing the ions to pass quicker through the soils and not get caught up in the root zone for plants.”
Dr John Bradd Hydrogeologist
National Co-Ordinator, Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation
