What Does
Conductivity Mean?
Conductivity is the measure wherein heat or electrical charge is capable of passing through certain materials. Conductors are materials that can give very low resistance to thermal energy or electrical current flow.
Metals are considered to have the highest level of conductivity, while materials such as woods, ceramics and plastics have the lowest conductivity.
Corrosionpedia Explains Conductivity
Conductivity is measured by the international standard (SI) unit Siemens per meter (S/m). Measuring the conductivity of materials can be beneficial in many ways, such as to progressively trend and monitor system performance. This is applicable in the case of water purification.
Measuring conductivity is commonly used in various environmental and industrial applications. It is a reliable, fast and cost-effective way to gauge the ions within a solution. In almost all instances, conductivity is strongly associated with total dissolved solids (TDS). For instance, water that is highly de-ionized has about 5.5 S/m of conductivity, while seawater has around 5 S/m and ordinary drinking water has a conductivity ranging from 5-50 micro Siemens per meter.
With accurate measurement of conductivity, detecting the absence or presence of ions within a solution can be performed with ease and accuracy. This aids in monitoring water quality in areas like hospitals, public water, water in boilers and other industries.