In chemical industrial treatment, Chemical neutralization of excess alkalinity or acidity is often required. One of the critical items in neutralizing the water is to determine the nature of the substances that cause acidity and alkalinity. This is generally achieved in laboratory scale experiments by preparing titration curves showing the quantity of alkaline or acidic materials necessary to adjust the pH of the target wastewater.
There are three critical components of any pH control system: mixing intensity or turnover time in the reactor, response time of the control system, and the ability of the chemical metering system to match process requirements. If any one of these components is not properly designed, significant problems in system performance can be anticipated.
Methods used for pH adjustment are selected on the basis of overall cost because material costs vary widely as do equipment needs for different chemicals. The volume, kind, and quantity of acid or alkali to be neutralized or partially removed are also variables influencing the selection of a chemical agent.