Removal of scale in distillation of sea water containing magnesium salts

摘要

Sea water or other water containing dissolved magnesium salts, after being pre-heated to near boiling point, is intimately mixed with a small amount of entrained steam and the mixture of steam and saline droplets is then heated in an evaporator tube, resulting in a mixture of steam and saline concentrate. The mixture is discharged from the evaporator tube into a cyclone separator; and the steam is condensed to form the distillate. The evaporator tube is surrounded by a steam jacket; and a condensation promoter such as oleic acid or dodecanethiol may be applied to the outside of the tube. Gelatinous scale which forms on the inside of the evaporator tube is loosened at intervals by the passage of steam (see Division F2).