Tech Talk: (10) Electrolytic Conductivity Measurement Basics

Conductivity measurement is used extensively in industry for measuring water quality from water treatment plants and in the case of anion/cation demineralising plant, to determine when resin backwash and regeneration is initiated. Monitoring the quality of treated feed water is of great importance in contributing to the protection of steam generators (boilers) from corrosion. It is also used to monitor the quality of boiler blow down water and recycled steam condensate, where dissolved ionic solids may lead to boiler tube scaling. Cooling water in closed circuit heat exchangers may be monitored by conductivity measurement in order to detect internal leaks, resulting in acidic material from raw cooling water contaminating the system, causing major damage. Other applications include