An advanced understanding of the fundamental scale forming processes is critical to developing superior cooling water scale control chemistries. This paper describes the influence of interfacial structure on calcium carbonate precipitation and scale formation. Scaling kinetics are dependent upon the molecular structure of the interface formed between substoichiometric inhibitors and calcium carbonate solid states. Comparative studies of calcium carbonate inhibition activity of select 1,1-diphosphonates, 1,2-diphosphonates, and tetramethylenephosphonate inhibitors illustrate some important aspects for achieving inhibition. Analytical methods which probe crystal growth, calcium carbonate nucleation, and overall calcium carbonate precipitation show that inhibitor/solid molecular structure requirements are most critical for crystal growth inhibition. Time-lapse video microscopy documents the process dynamics of deposit formation in situ.

Subject
Inhibitor performance, Precipitation (solids), Calcium carbonate, Phosphonates, Scale inhibitors, Nucleation, Solubility, Calcium, Calcite, Surfaces, Molecular structure, Crystal growth, Corrosion inhibitors
Keywords:
Calcium carbonate, constant composition, nucleation
© 1995 Association for Materials Protection and Performance (AMPP). All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of AMPP. Positions and opinions advanced in this work are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of AMPP. Responsibility for the content of the work lies solely with the author(s).
1995
Association for Materials Protection and Performance (AMPP)
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