Re: [APD] chemical query

[Stuart Halliday <stuart at mytriops_com>]

I believe Ade Lau wrote this email section below:
> Stuart,
>     Carbonate and bicarbonate are different buffer (acid base 
> chemistry).  Carbonate is more basic than bicarbonate.  If carbonate are 
> to use as buffer, the pH of the water will stay high.  I think at least 
> 2 to 3 points.  Unless your water is very acidic, carbonate is not a 
> good choice.  When carbonate gains a H+, it becomes bicarbonate.  When 
> bicarbonate gains a H+, it becomes carbonic acid (H2CO3 --> CO2 + H2O). 
> Of course, it is not as straight forward as it looks because they exist 
> as an equalibrium (balance) and it takes a large change on one side of 
> equalibrium to shift the balance.  I am not an analytical chemist, they 
> can probably explain it better. 
>  
> Ade

Thank you Ade, Jerry and Liz for your kind answers :-)

So basically potassium bicarbonate has the edge as it dissolves quicker and 
releases CO2?

My Tap water has a ph of 6.4 and a KH of about 2d, GH pretty close to zero.

I've also heard that Potassium carbonate removes chlorine from tap water as 
well. I wonder if Potassium bicarbonate does?


-- 
Stuart Halliday
http://mytriops.com/
200 Million years in the making...
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