How is feed water typically processed before use?

Feed water is typically processed through a demineralizer before use because this process effectively removes dissolved minerals and ionic impurities that can cause scaling, corrosion, and operational issues in the boiler and steam systems. Demineralization involves the use of ion exchange resins that exchange harmful ions for non-harmful ions, ensuring that the water meets the stringent purity requirements necessary for efficient and safe operation in a reactor environment.

The other methods, while they may address certain aspects of water quality, do not provide the comprehensive removal of chemical impurities that demineralization does. Boiling may eliminate some microbial content but does not remove dissolved minerals. Chlorination is primarily used for disinfection rather than treating mineral content, and filtering through sand can only catch larger particulates and does not remove dissolved ions effectively. Thus, using a demineralizer is the most effective and widely accepted method for preparing feed water in this context.