A Practical Manual On Sea Water Distillation
With A Description Of The Necessary Machinery For The Process

i6 SEA WATER DISTILLATION. when mixing with the fatty acid in soap. Soft water not containing these salts dissolves the soap without any curdling action. Often boiling hard water will be suffi- cient to reduce its hardness. A hard water can also be softened by the admixture of lime water, or of carbonate of soda. The measure of hardness is often indicated by the number of degrees of hardness. One degree of hard- ness is 1 grain of saline matter per gallon. Note.—In laundries the use of distilled water thus increases the efficiency of the soap used, and consequently reduces the quantity requirable for hard water. Important Points regarding Sea Water Distillation. 24. From the general outline that has been given as to the distillation of sea water, it is apparent that the subject is closely involved in the composition and nature of sea water and impure water generally, as well as the properties and nature of steam, and the subject of heat. Therefore, before dealing with the parts of a distilling apparatus in detail, the next three chapters will be devoted to Sea Water, Steam, and Fuels generally.