Some of the ideas of magnetic water softening:
"Descaling of Water
Limescale (consisting of mainly calcium carbonate, plus calcium sulfate, barium sulfate, calcium phosphate, magnesium hydroxide, zinc phosphate, iron hydroxides and silica, dependent on the geographical area) is a problem in heated water systems wherever water is obtained from limestone or chalk countryside. It is formed primarily because the solubility of calcium carbonate decreases with increasing temperature. Limescale is only a problem if calcium carbonate deposits rhombohedral calcite crystals, which may form directly or subsequent to metastable hexagonal and fibrous vaterite crystal formation. Orthorhombic aragonite crystals have a higher density and, although intrinsically harder, are less prone to form hard scale, but are only about one kJ mol-1 less stable and favored at higher temperatures. Once formed, crystals are kinetically (if not thermodynamically) stable for hundreds of hours. By drawing water through a static magnetic field (B ~0.1 T , gradientB~10 T m-1, it has been shown that the initial amount of aragonite formed is significantly increased over calcite in samples with and without the presence of dissolved iron , although this aragonite eventually changes to calcite . A separate experiment has shown that drawing a pure solution of calcium carbonate and bicarbonate through static magnets (0.16 T) for 5-30 min increases the precipitate formed on degassing the excess dissolved carbon dioxide .
The direction and variation of the magnetic field has also been shown to be important , with crystal size decreasing with increasing magnetic field . A different group has showed agreement in a recent study where under similar conditions (B = 0.5 T, flow rate = 0.1 m s-1) the magnetic field produces mainly a mixture of aragonite (44%) and vaterite (42%) whereas without it well-crystallized calcite (34%) is formed with little aragonite (14%) . It has been proposed that the smaller water cluster size, being more reactive, hydrates the calcium and carbonate (particularly; see a recent supporting study ) ions more effectively and so encourages aragonite nucleation . Alternatively, the magnetic field may cause a surface and/or orientation effects on the growing crystals . It is possible, however, that the major effect is the magnetically induced competitive formation of hydrated silica in suitable solutions that then absorbs calcium ions .
There are many devices on the market for the magnetic treatment of water for the removal of such limescale. The sales success of these devices would seem to indicate that some work as promoted, at least under some circumstances.
Magnetic treatment of water is claimed to cause four effects:
1. Reduction in the amount of limescale formed.
2. Production of a less tenacious limescale due to a change in the crystal morphology.
3. Removal of existing scale (3 - 6 months).
4. Retention of anti-scaling properties for hours following treatment."
Larry
I don't know all the scientfic mumbo jumbo but I know Bull Shit when I see it. No way a Magnet is going to do anyting. If it did trap anything where would it GO? :shock:
