Alkaline scale control in saline water conversion equipment

Claim 1

IN A METHOD FOR CONVERTING AN ALKALINE SALINE WATER CONTAINING (A) THE CATIONS OF ONE OR MORE ALKALINE EARTH METALS AND (B) THE ALKALINE ANIONS AT LEAST TWO MEMBERS OF THE CARBONATE, BICARBONATE AND HYDROXIDE GROUP (E) WHICH SALINE WATER HAS A TOTAL DISSOLVED SOLIDS CONTENT OF AT LEAST 2500 P.P.M., WHICH METHOD COMPRISES HEATING SAID SALINE WATER TO DISTILL WATER VAPOR THEREFROM AND CONDENSING THE DISTILLED WATER VAPOR AS PRODUCT, THE IMPROVEMENT WHEREBY THE DEPOSITION OF ALKALINE EARTH METAL SCALES THEREFROM ONTO HEAT TRANSFER SURFACES IS PREVENTED, COMPRISING (1) ADDING TO SAID SALINE WATER A CARBOXYLIC ACID CATION EXCHANGE RESIN IN AMOUNT AT LEAST SUFFICIENT TO REACT WITH ALL OF SAID CARBONATE, BICARBONATE AND HYDROXIDE ANIONS PRESENT IN SAID SALINE WATER AND WHEREBY SAID RESIN ALSO REACTS WITH ONLY SUCH A PROPORTION OF ALKALINE EARTH CATIONS PRESENT AS ARE STOICHIOMETRICALLY EQUIVALENT TO SAID ANIONS, AND (2) HEATING SAID SALINE WATER IN THE PRESENCE OF SAID RESIN (A) TO REMOVE CARBON DIOXIDE FORMED BY REACTION BETWEEN SAID CARBONATE AND BICARBONATE ANIONS AND SAID RESIN AND (B) TO DISTIL WATER VAPOR THEREFROM AND CONDENSING AND RECOVERING WATER AS PRODUCT.