Seawater: Composition and Properties

Chapter 3 begins with an overview of the range of seawater composition based on analyses of seawater from different regions of the world, followed by an explanation of how the aggregate parameters salinity, total dissolved solids and ionic strength are calculated from these data. For the design of treatment processes of seawater desalination plants, the physical, thermophysical, and physico-chemical properties of the seawater must be known. Equations for calculating these parameters as a function of salinity and temperature of seawater are provided, and the results are presented in diagrams and listed in tables. Also, the basics of calculating solution equilibria and solubility limits of components of highly saline solutions using thermodynamic and stoichiometric modelling are outlined. The basics of ion association theory are also explained, and how ion pairs influence the behaviour of seawater components. Another section of Chap. 3 deals with the calculation of chemical equilibria in seawater, in particular the CO2/bicarbonate/carbonate equilibrium and the boric acid/borate equilibrium, in each case based on stoichiometric as well as thermodynamic modelling.

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Notes

D.T. Jamieson and J.S. Tudhope, Physical properties of seawater solutions—Thermal Conductivity, Desalination, 8 (1970), pp. 393–401.

W.H. Emerson and D. Jamieson, Some physical properties of seawater in different concentrations, Desalination, 3 (1967), pp. 207–212.

ASHRAE Handbook: Fundamentals, American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, Air-Conditioning Engineers, and Inc., ASHRAE, 2005.

International Association for the Properties of Water and Steam, Release on the IAPWS Surface Tension of Ordinary Water Substance, 1994.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Nufringen, Baden-Württemberg, Germany Heinz Ludwig
  1. Heinz Ludwig