Carbon Dioxide Stripping

Definition

The continuous loss of dissolved carbon dioxide from recirculating water, especially in cooling towers, which raises pH.

As water cascades through a tower, carbon dioxide escapes to the air and the carbonate equilibrium shifts toward carbonate ion. This drives pH upward and biases the system toward calcium carbonate formation. It is one of the unavoidable pH shifts designed into heat rejection systems and a key reason cooling towers scale.

Related concepts

pH Effect on Carbonate Speciation · Inverse Solubility · Puckorius Scaling Index

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