Organic Compounds as Scale Inhibitors

The use and operation of circulating cooling equipment in industry can cause corrosion and scaling problems, and the organic chemical structure has a significant impact on the corrosion and scale inhibition performance. Organic phosphate scale inhibitors have stable chemical properties and can effectively control calcium phosphate scale in water. They are not easily hydrolyzed and have good heat resistance. Carboxylic acid scale inhibitors can form complexes with Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, Ba²⁺, and S^2- in water, thereby increasing the solubility of salt scale in water. Sulfonic acid-based scale inhibitors can effectively prevent the formation of salt scale by increasing the hydrogen bonding force between the scale inhibitor and inorganic scale. Hydroxyl scale inhibitors have inhibitory effects on Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, and other salt scales. The new green scale inhibitors possess the following characteristics: nontoxic, efficient, and easily biodegradable. The composite scale and corrosion inhibitor with multiple functional groups has become a more efficient and comprehensive multifunctional composite water treatment agent. This article provides a prospect for the research on scale inhibitors both domestically and internationally, and the development of more efficient and environmentally friendly corrosion and scale inhibitors is an important direction for future development.