{"id":18015,"date":"2025-12-09T10:48:29","date_gmt":"2025-12-09T10:48:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.zschimmer-schwarz-ceramco.it\/lo-sapevi-che\/59-water-conductivity-industrial-production-2\/"},"modified":"2025-12-11T17:31:30","modified_gmt":"2025-12-11T17:31:30","slug":"59-water-conductivity-industrial-production-2","status":"publish","type":"lo-sapevi-che","link":"https:\/\/www.zschimmer-schwarz-ceramco.it\/en\/did-you-know-that\/59-water-conductivity-industrial-production-2\/","title":{"rendered":"#59 Water conductivity & industrial production"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
Content<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
    \n
  1. Water conductivity: what is it?<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. The importance of water in industrial processes <\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. The role of conductivity in process control<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. Case study: the ceramic industry<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  5. Levers to influence conductivity <\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    1. Water conductivity: what is it? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Electrical conductivity, commonly referred to as EC, describes how well water can carry an electric current. This depends mostly on the amount of dissolved ions present, such as mineral salts, metals, carbonates, chlorides, and sulfates. In general, the more ions in the water, the higher its conductivity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Conductivity is measured in micro siemens per centimeter (\u00b5S\/cm) or milli siemens per centimeter (mS\/cm), depending on the range. For example, ultra-pure water used in laboratories has a conductivity below 1 \u00b5S\/cm, while drinking water typically falls between 100 and 800 \u00b5S\/cm. In industrial settings, the levels can be much higher and may even exceed 5,000 \u00b5S\/cm, depending on the process or application. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    The main contributors to water conductivity are positive ions such as calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, and iron, along with negative ions like chlorides, sulfates, nitrates, and bicarbonates.
    While conductivity doesn\u2019t directly reveal the presence of pollutants, it\u2019s still an important indicator of water quality. It reflects the overall level of dissolved salts, and therefore the degree of mineralization in the water. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    2. The importance of water in industrial processes <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Water plays a vital and highly adaptable role in industrial settings. It serves many purposes, from cooling machinery and reactors, to cleaning surfaces and equipment, rinsing parts and materials, and even acting as an active component within production processes \u2014 as in the food, chemical, and pharmaceutical industries. However, to perform these functions effectively, water must meet certain quality standards. Conductivity is especially important, since a high concentration of dissolved ions can lead to serious problems. These include corrosion, scaling, or disruptions to the physical and chemical processes involved in production.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    3. The role of conductivity in process control <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    In industrial processes, conductivity is closely monitored across many applications. For instance, when water is used as a direct component in production \u2014 such as in doughs, mixtures, or solutions \u2014 an excessively high conductivity can signal the presence of aggressive ions like chlorides or nitrates, which can corrode pipes and metal equipment.
    It may also point to unwanted contamination, whether from residues left behind by previous production cycles or from accidental inflows of wastewater.
    In addition, a high ion concentration can alter the physical properties of water-based mixtures, affecting factors like viscosity, stability, and dispersion \u2014 all of which depend heavily on the liquid\u2019s ionic composition. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    4. Case study: the ceramic industry <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    One industry where monitoring water conductivity is especially critical is ceramics. In this sector, water is used to prepare mixes, slurries, and other semi-finished materials that play a central role in production. Any shift in conductivity \u2014 for example, due to bacterial degradation \u2014 can disrupt the even distribution of particles within suspensions. This affects the rheology of the materials, particularly their viscosity, and ultimately impacts the quality of the finished product. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    When it comes to glaze application, water with a high salt content can react with compounds in the mixture. This may cause unwanted precipitation or the buildup of deposits that interfere with the application process, leading to defects in the final coating. High conductivity is also a concern during equipment cleaning. In spray nozzles and pipelines, for instance, it can encourage the formation of scale, leading to blockages that reduce system efficiency and increase maintenance needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Fluctuations in water conductivity can stem from a variety of factors. These include the water source\u2014whether it comes from surface water, groundwater, or a municipal supply\u2014environmental contamination, evaporation in open circuits, and chemical interactions between the water and the materials of tanks or pipes. Even small changes in the composition of raw materials can upset the delicate balance of the process, affecting key physical and chemical parameters. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    To keep conductivity under control, many industries use inline sensors that provide continuous, real-time monitoring. Alternatively, manual sampling and laboratory testing with portable instruments may be carried out. When conductivity levels exceed safe thresholds, corrective actions can be taken. These might include water treatment, system regeneration, or replacing contaminated components to restore proper operating conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    5. Levers to influence conductivity <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    In theory, there are physical techniques, such as osmosis-based systems, that could bring water conductivity down to very low, precisely controlled levels. In practice, though, these methods are extremely costly and therefore not feasible for most industrial operations. A more practical and cost-effective strategy is to act preventively by adding certain chelating agents during the grinding process. These substances help bind and neutralize multivalent metal ions, replacing them with simpler monovalent ions like sodium.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    So why does this matter?
    Through a combination of ion exchange and chelating action, these additives strengthen the electrical double layer that naturally forms around clay particles. This creates stronger repulsive forces, which push the particles further apart. As a result, they move more freely and slide past one another, leading to a notable drop in the mixture\u2019s viscosity and a smoother, more workable material. It\u2019s worth pointing out that this treatment doesn\u2019t lower the water\u2019s electrical conductivity. Instead, it optimizes particle dispersion, which greatly improves the flow properties and overall handling of the clay mixture.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Content 1. Water conductivity: what is it? Electrical conductivity, commonly referred to as EC, describes how well water can carry an electric current. This depends mostly on the amount of dissolved ions present, such as mineral salts, metals, carbonates, chlorides, and sulfates. In general, the more ions in the water, the higher its conductivity. Conductivity […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":18011,"template":"","product-category":[133,137],"correlatore-category":[40],"class_list":["post-18015","lo-sapevi-che","type-lo-sapevi-che","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","product-category-biocides-preservatives-sanitizers","product-category-levelling-agents-defoamers-surfactants","correlatore-category-degradazioni-e-affini"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n#59 Water conductivity & industrial production - Z&S - Ceramco<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"A digital knowledge hub on chemistry and ceramics, featuring clear, in-depth content with images and downloadable PDFs. Start exploring.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.zschimmer-schwarz-ceramco.it\/en\/did-you-know-that\/59-water-conductivity-industrial-production-2\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"#59 Water conductivity & industrial production - Z&S - Ceramco\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"A digital knowledge hub on chemistry and ceramics, featuring clear, in-depth content with images and downloadable PDFs. Start exploring.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.zschimmer-schwarz-ceramco.it\/en\/did-you-know-that\/59-water-conductivity-industrial-production-2\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Z&S - Ceramco\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-12-11T17:31:30+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.zschimmer-schwarz-ceramco.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/59_conducibilita-acqua_01-2.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.zschimmer-schwarz-ceramco.it\\\/en\\\/did-you-know-that\\\/59-water-conductivity-industrial-production-2\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.zschimmer-schwarz-ceramco.it\\\/en\\\/did-you-know-that\\\/59-water-conductivity-industrial-production-2\\\/\",\"name\":\"#59 Water conductivity & industrial production - Z&S - Ceramco\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.zschimmer-schwarz-ceramco.it\\\/en\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.zschimmer-schwarz-ceramco.it\\\/en\\\/did-you-know-that\\\/59-water-conductivity-industrial-production-2\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.zschimmer-schwarz-ceramco.it\\\/en\\\/did-you-know-that\\\/59-water-conductivity-industrial-production-2\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.zschimmer-schwarz-ceramco.it\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/12\\\/59_conducibilita-acqua_01-2.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-12-09T10:48:29+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-12-11T17:31:30+00:00\",\"description\":\"A digital knowledge hub on chemistry and ceramics, featuring clear, in-depth content with images and downloadable PDFs. Start exploring.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.zschimmer-schwarz-ceramco.it\\\/en\\\/did-you-know-that\\\/59-water-conductivity-industrial-production-2\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.zschimmer-schwarz-ceramco.it\\\/en\\\/did-you-know-that\\\/59-water-conductivity-industrial-production-2\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.zschimmer-schwarz-ceramco.it\\\/en\\\/did-you-know-that\\\/59-water-conductivity-industrial-production-2\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.zschimmer-schwarz-ceramco.it\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/12\\\/59_conducibilita-acqua_01-2.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.zschimmer-schwarz-ceramco.it\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/12\\\/59_conducibilita-acqua_01-2.jpg\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.zschimmer-schwarz-ceramco.it\\\/en\\\/did-you-know-that\\\/59-water-conductivity-industrial-production-2\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.zschimmer-schwarz-ceramco.it\\\/en\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Lo sapevi che..(P)\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.zschimmer-schwarz-ceramco.it\\\/en\\\/did-you-know-that\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"#59 Water conductivity & industrial production\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.zschimmer-schwarz-ceramco.it\\\/en\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.zschimmer-schwarz-ceramco.it\\\/en\\\/\",\"name\":\"Z&S - Ceramco\",\"description\":\"Z&S - Ceramco\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.zschimmer-schwarz-ceramco.it\\\/en\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"#59 Water conductivity & industrial production - Z&S - Ceramco","description":"A digital knowledge hub on chemistry and ceramics, featuring clear, in-depth content with images and downloadable PDFs. Start exploring.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.zschimmer-schwarz-ceramco.it\/en\/did-you-know-that\/59-water-conductivity-industrial-production-2\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"#59 Water conductivity & industrial production - Z&S - Ceramco","og_description":"A digital knowledge hub on chemistry and ceramics, featuring clear, in-depth content with images and downloadable PDFs. Start exploring.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.zschimmer-schwarz-ceramco.it\/en\/did-you-know-that\/59-water-conductivity-industrial-production-2\/","og_site_name":"Z&S - Ceramco","article_modified_time":"2025-12-11T17:31:30+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.zschimmer-schwarz-ceramco.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/59_conducibilita-acqua_01-2.jpg","width":1,"height":1,"type":"image\/jpeg"}],"twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.zschimmer-schwarz-ceramco.it\/en\/did-you-know-that\/59-water-conductivity-industrial-production-2\/","url":"https:\/\/www.zschimmer-schwarz-ceramco.it\/en\/did-you-know-that\/59-water-conductivity-industrial-production-2\/","name":"#59 Water conductivity & industrial production - Z&S - Ceramco","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.zschimmer-schwarz-ceramco.it\/en\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.zschimmer-schwarz-ceramco.it\/en\/did-you-know-that\/59-water-conductivity-industrial-production-2\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.zschimmer-schwarz-ceramco.it\/en\/did-you-know-that\/59-water-conductivity-industrial-production-2\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.zschimmer-schwarz-ceramco.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/59_conducibilita-acqua_01-2.jpg","datePublished":"2025-12-09T10:48:29+00:00","dateModified":"2025-12-11T17:31:30+00:00","description":"A digital knowledge hub on chemistry and ceramics, featuring clear, in-depth content with images and downloadable PDFs. Start exploring.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.zschimmer-schwarz-ceramco.it\/en\/did-you-know-that\/59-water-conductivity-industrial-production-2\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.zschimmer-schwarz-ceramco.it\/en\/did-you-know-that\/59-water-conductivity-industrial-production-2\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.zschimmer-schwarz-ceramco.it\/en\/did-you-know-that\/59-water-conductivity-industrial-production-2\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.zschimmer-schwarz-ceramco.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/59_conducibilita-acqua_01-2.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.zschimmer-schwarz-ceramco.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/59_conducibilita-acqua_01-2.jpg"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.zschimmer-schwarz-ceramco.it\/en\/did-you-know-that\/59-water-conductivity-industrial-production-2\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.zschimmer-schwarz-ceramco.it\/en\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Lo sapevi che..(P)","item":"https:\/\/www.zschimmer-schwarz-ceramco.it\/en\/did-you-know-that\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"#59 Water conductivity & industrial production"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.zschimmer-schwarz-ceramco.it\/en\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.zschimmer-schwarz-ceramco.it\/en\/","name":"Z&S - Ceramco","description":"Z&S - Ceramco","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.zschimmer-schwarz-ceramco.it\/en\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.zschimmer-schwarz-ceramco.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/lo-sapevi-che\/18015","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.zschimmer-schwarz-ceramco.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/lo-sapevi-che"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.zschimmer-schwarz-ceramco.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/lo-sapevi-che"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.zschimmer-schwarz-ceramco.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/lo-sapevi-che\/18015\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18100,"href":"https:\/\/www.zschimmer-schwarz-ceramco.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/lo-sapevi-che\/18015\/revisions\/18100"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.zschimmer-schwarz-ceramco.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/18011"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.zschimmer-schwarz-ceramco.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18015"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"product-category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.zschimmer-schwarz-ceramco.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product-category?post=18015"},{"taxonomy":"correlatore-category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.zschimmer-schwarz-ceramco.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/correlatore-category?post=18015"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}