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The Proper Use of Modern Polymer Technology in Cooling Water Programs
The Proper Use of Modern Polymer Technology in Cooling Water Programs
The Proper Use of Modern Polymer Technology in Cooling Water Programs
Thomas J. Young
Lubrizol Advanced Materials, Inc.*
Cleveland, OH
Carbosperse™ K-700
Water Treatment Polymers**
© 2011, The Lubrizol Corporation, all rights reserved.
* Formerly BFGoodrich Performance Materials
** Formerly Good-Rite K-700 water treatment polymers
Abstract
In this paper, modern cooling water treatment technologies have been broken down into
four (4) broad categories. The most common water treatment problems encountered in
each category and some responses to these problems are discussed. These
responses are not necessarily the addition of more chemical but sometimes the
removal of an offending material or a change in the application of the existing
treatments. The strengths and weaknesses of each category are also discussed.
Introduction
There are six (6) dominant technologies is use today for the treatment of open
recirculating cooling water systems. Four of these technologies have been developed
in the last ten years and their application, strengths, and limitations are still somewhat
misunderstood. In all of these technologies, polymers are used and the type, purpose,
level and abilities of these polymers are more or less critical to each of the
technologies.
We would like to discuss the four modern technologies, the market niches best
addressed by their capabilities and the most appropriate polymer performance factors
to consider in each application. The six (6) general technologies are as follows:
In the late 1960s and early 1970s, it became obvious that the chromate-based
technologies in broad use at that time would come under some sort of regulatory
restraint. Early regulation of chromate was based on water pollution by the USEPA but
later OSHA severely restricted worker exposure to the products. More recently,
chromate has been banned by the EPA from comfort cooling towers based on air
pollution criteria resulting from cooling tower drift.1,2
The first chromate replacements were introduced quietly in the early 1970s but
formalized later in the decade.3 The early versions of “soft” phosphate or dispersant
programs incorporated phosphate esters, polyphosphates, and organic phosphates for
scale control. Recent embodiments use only organic phosphates for scale control with
the role of polymers being emphasized in "stressed" conditions. The two variants of
this technology are (1) the dispersant version where the recirculating cooling water
Langlier Saturation Index (LSI) is established at 1.6 to 2.0 and no inorganic phosphate
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is added and (2) the "soft" phosphate version where a LSI of 1.6 to 2.0 is not obtainable
and inorganic phosphates are added to control corrosion. As described in Figure 1, the
solubility of calcium phosphate is not exceeded using "soft" phosphate programs.
Originally, commercial/institutional and light industrial markets the markets were the
focus with this technology. With proper application, the results were and are quite
acceptable in these lower temperature applications, where the heat transfer
metallurgies are generally yellow metal (copper or copper alloy) and the system
availability is not critical to a plant's operation. The weaknesses of the technology were
soon exposed in higher temperatures, high heat flux systems. and in systems serving
mild steel heat exchangers. This technology should not be used under these
conditions; alternate technologies discussed later in the paper should be considered.
If calcium phosphate deposition is the recognized foulant in a system, then one of three
things is wrong with the application. The first two variables are usually a function of the
system. They are pH and calcium hardness. If these variables are dictated by the
operation of the system, then the phosphate added with the water treatment should be
optimized just below the solubility allowed by these uncontrolled variables (Figure 1).
By establishing this phosphate level, one eliminates the problem of calcium phosphate
fouling while optimizing corrosion inhibition without unnecessarily increasing the cost of
treating the system.
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phosphate (as P2O5), and ignition loss. The solution to this problem is to add less
phosphonate. Generally, three to five parts per million (ppm) of total phosphonate is
adequate to prevent calcium carbonate scaling in the system without resulting in
calcium phosphonate deposition.
In exceptional circumstances, the use of modern polymer technology can alleviate the
deposition of calcium phosphonate in very hot heat exchangers. This is a relatively rare
circumstance that should be avoided to minimize treatment expense and to generally
simplify the treatment approach for these markets.
The dominant need for polymers in this technology is the dispersion of external systems
contaminants such as dirt and dust from the air or iron from the make-up water.
Depending on the treatment approach, we typically recommend polyacrylates (in the
2,000 to 5,000 molecular weight range) that are optimized for dispersion for this
application.
Excessive Corrosion
The third symptom of misapplying this technology is excessive mild steel corrosion.
Assuming the system is not being overchlorinated, then corrosion can be tracked to one
of four causes or application errors (as opposed to a technology weakness) as follows:
1. The use of the dispersant variant of this technology below LSI 1.6. If the
system must be operated below LSI 1.6, then it is appropriate to shift to a "soft"
phosphate program by adding phosphate in an amount indicated by analyzing the
pH / PO4 /Ca-hardness relationship which will eliminate the corrosion problem.
3. The use of the "soft" phosphate version too far below the calcium phosphate
solubility described in Figure 1. The solutions to this problem involve increasing
the pH, the calcium hardness, and/or the inorganic phosphate level up towards the
solubility limit and thereby eliminating the corrosion problem.
4. The deposition of external materials within the system. This deposition leads to
under-deposit corrosion and must be addressed by either (a) eliminating the source
of the fouling, (b) lowering cycles of concentration to lessen the loading, (c) or using
higher levels of a dispersant polyacrylate.
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"Stabilized" Phosphate Programs
In the late 1970s and early 1980s, it was recognized that earlier non-polluting, non-
chromate programs were inadequate for the treatment of high temperature / high heat
flux systems and especially those containing mild steel heat exchangers. "Stabilized"
phosphate programs first introduced and applied in the early 1980s provided a
technological solution to these problems.
Early laboratory work concluded that some polymer variables (e.g., molecular weight),
were not important to the success of these programs. 5 While this conclusion appeared
to be correct based on initial laboratory evaluations, early field experience and later
laboratory experimentation showed that both polymer composition and molecular
weight were critical to the success of these stabilized phosphate programs. 6,7 More
recently, both polymer and application technology have evolved to accommodate the
inevitable upsets that occur in any cooling water system.8
The two critical dispersion functions required to successfully apply stabilized phosphate
technology are calcium phosphate dispersion or stabilization and, more importantly, the
calcium phosphate dispersion in the presence of iron. Table 1 provides a listing of
deposit control polymers that were evaluated as calcium phosphate inhibitors in the
absence and presence of iron as shown in Figures 2 and 3, respectively. Iron is always
present in industrial cooling water systems and greatly influences both the performance
and selection of deposit control polymers used in stabilized phosphate programs. The
early failings of the stabilized phosphate technology were due to a lack of
understanding the impact of iron in the system. Recent polymer advances minimize the
effects of iron in an otherwise properly controlled system.
"All-Organic” Programs
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treatment chemical programs. The borderline corrosion control achieved in the
"dispersant" program was eliminated by increasing LSI. However, this cause calcium
phosphonate deposition leading to the optimization of dispersant technologies to
address higher pH and calcium phosphonate dispersion. 9,10
Early studies that focused on the effects of polyacrylates (PAAs) molecular weight
(MW) on calcium carbonate (CaCO3) showed that (a) low MW PAAs inhibited CaCO3
precipitation from solution and (b) moderate MW PAAs in the presence of precipitated
CaCO3 resulted in cleaner heat exchanger surfaces.12 Modern polymer technology
developments have resulted in not only better dispersants for calcium phosphonates
(Figure 4), but also polymers that are equally effective as antiscalants for controlling
CaCO3 in high temperature heat exchangers.
“All organic” programs that incorporate modern phosphonates and modern polymer
technology can when properly applied generate excellent results more economically
and with greater forgiveness than "stabilized" phosphate programs.
Molybdate-Based Programs
Since about 1986, the use of molybdates in cooling water treatment has been
documented in the literature.13-15 This information has come from two sources; initially,
basic manufacturers promoted the use of molybdates in cooling water programs and
secondarily, the water treatment companies incorporated molybdates into their product
lines. Subsequently, molybdates have been incorporated into other successful
technologies such as the previously discussed "soft" phosphate, "stabilized" phosphate,
dispersant, and "all organic" programs.
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Summary
The use of polymers within the various modern cooling water treatment philosophies is
a very complicated issue that should be addressed from an end use application
perspective. Because of its financial and practical considerations, this perspective
leads to treatment designs that minimize the problems generated by poor overall
programs before applying a somewhat more expensive deposit control polymer
technology. We strongly advocate this holistic approach to economical, effective
cooling water treatment design and hope that we can help you in this effort.
References
1. "Regulatory Impacts Analysis for Chromium Emissions from Comfort Cooling Towers."
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, February 1987.
3. R.C. May, G.E. Geiger and D.A. Bauer, NACE International, CORROSION, Vol. 20, No. 4,
P. 34 (1981).
4. G.A. Crucil, J.R. Macdonald, and E.B. Smyk, "Role of Polymers in the Mechanisms and
Performance of Phosphate-Based Cooling Water Treatment Programs," International Water
Conference, Paper No. IWC-87-40, Pittsburgh, PA, 1987.
5. I.E. Woerner and D.R. Boyer, "The Impact of Select Polymers on Calcium Phosphate
Deposition," Corrosion/84, Paper No. 314, NACE International, Houston, TX (1984).
6. J.E. Hoots and G.A. Crucil, "Role of Polymers in the Mechanisms and Performance of
Alkaline Cooling Water Programs," Corrosion/86, Paper No. 13 NACE International,
Houston, TX (1986).
7. E.B. Smyk, J.E. Hoots, K.P. Fivizzani, and K.E. Fulks, "The Design and Application of
Polymers and Cooling Water Programs," Corrosion/88, Paper No. 14, NACE International,
Houston, TX (1988).
8. J.E. Harvey and J.S. Roti, "Handling System Upsets Using High Phosphate Corrosion
Inhibitor Programs: New Polymer Technology Reduces Operating Problems,"
Corrosion/88, Paper No. 21, NACE International, Houston, TX (1988).
9. D.A. Little, J.E. Waller and C. Soule,' ”Alkaline All-Organic Cooling Water Treatment,"
Cooling Technologies Institute, 1987 Annual Meeting, TP 87-5, Houston, TX (1987).
10. W.M. Hann and J. Natoli, "Acrylic Acid Polymers and Copolymers as Deposit Control
Agents in Alkaline Cooling Water Systems," Corrosion/84, Paper No. 35, NACE
International, Houston, TX (1984).
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11. G.H. Nancollas, "Phosphate Precipitation in Corrosion Protection: Reaction Mechanisms,”
NACE International, CORROSION, 39(3), 77-82, (1983).
12. B.L. Libutti, J.G. Knudsen, R.W. Mueller, "The Effects of Antiscalants on Fouling by
Cooling Water," Corrosion/84, Paper No. 119, NACE International, Houston, TX (1984).
13. M.S. Vukasovich, "Molybdate: The Versatile Inhibitor," Corrosion/89, Paper No. 444,
NACE International, Houston, TX (1989).
14. K.P. Fivizzani and S.H. Shim, "Effects of Molybdate in Cooling Water Treatment
Programs," Cooling Technologies Institute, 1990 Annual Meeting, TP 90-13, Houston, TX
(1990).
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Lubrizol Advanced Materials, Inc.
9911 Brecksville Road, Cleveland, OH 44141-3247, U.S.A.
Phone: 1-800-380-5397 or 216-447-5000
FAX: 216-447-6315 (USA Customer Service)
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216-447-5238 (Marketing & Technical Service)
Web Site: www.carbosperse.com
Dec-1990 (Updated Sep-11)
The information contained herein is believed to be reliable, but no representations, guarantees or warranties of any kind are made to its accuracy, suitability for
particular applications, or the results to be obtained therefrom. The information is based on laboratory work with small-scale equipment and does not necessarily
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guarantees are made as to the suitability of the products for the application disclosed. Full-scale testing and field application performances are the responsibility of the
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MERCHANT ABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. Nothing contained herein is to be considered as permission, recommendation, nor as an
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Lubrizol Advanced Materials, Inc.
9911 Brecksville Road, Cleveland, OH 44141, P/216-447-5000, F/216-447-5238
© 2011, The Lubrizol Corporation. All rights reserved.
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