TECHNICAL                                       ALKALINITY
DATA SHEET
The alkalinity of the water is expressed in terms of MO and P values. The abbreviations stand for Methyl Orange and Phenolphthalein,
which are complex organic compounds known as indicators and they exhibit the property of changing color at certain pH values. The
Methyl Orange alkalinity measures or represents all of the alkalinity coming from all of the bicarbonate, carbonate, and hydroxyl. The
Phenolphthalein alkalinity is that derived from ½ of the carbonate and all of the hydroxyl.
The derivation of the alkalinity distribution calculations is            PH SCALE SHOWING CONSTITUENTS THAT CAN EXIST AT VARIOUS
made as follows:                                                         PH VALUES IN NATURAL AND TREATED WATERS
1.	     MO alkalinity	     =	       HCO3 + CO3 + OH                                   14.0
2.	     P alkalinity	      =	       ½ CO3 + OH                                        13.0       CAUSTIC OR HYDROXIDE ALKALINITY - (OH)-,
                                                                                                 CARBONATE ALKALINITY - (CO3), NO BICARBONATES
Note: HCO3 and OH cannot exist together in the same solution.                         12.0
                                                                                                 - (HCO3)-, NO CARBON DIOXIDE- CO2
If the assumption is made that HCO3 is present, then the following                    11.0
                                                                                      10.0
is true:                                                                 PINK          9.4
a)	     MO = HCO3 + CO3
b)	     P = ½ CO3
                                                                                                 CARBONATE (CO3) AND BICARBONATE ALKALINITY
To determine the HCO3 concentration double equation b) and sub-                        9.0       (HCO3)-, NO FREE CARBON
                                                                                                 DIOXIDE CO2 NO CAUSTIC ALKALINITY (OH)
tract from equation a): MO - 2P = HCO3.                                                8.3
                                                                         COLORLESS
The CO3 concentration is b) doubled: 2P = CO3.                                         8.0
If the assumption is made that OH is present, then from our basic
equations 1., and 2., the following is true:                             NEUTRALITY    7.0
                                                                                       6.0       BICARBONATE ALKALINITY (HCO3)-, AND FREE
a)	     MO = CO3 + OH                                                                  5.0       CARBON DIOXIDE CO2, NO CARBONATE ALKALINITY
b)	     P = ½ CO3 + OH                                                                           (CO3) =
To determine CO3, subtract equation b) from a) and double the
                                                                         ORANGE        4.4
result: 2 (MO-P) = CO3.                                                                4.0
                                                                         METHYL
To determine OH, double equation b) and subtract a) from                 ORANGE
b): 2P - MO = OH.                                                        INDICATOR
                                                                         RANGE                   MINERAL ACIDS
If the assumption has been made that HCO3 (or OH) is present and         RED           3.1       H2SO4, -HC1, -HNO3.
the equations result in negative numbers, then the assumption is                       2.0
incorrect and the other equations should be used.                                      1.0
                                                                                       0.0
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