The Application of a Chemical Inhibitor in an Effort to Prevent the Scaling of Ferrous Carbide

The properties of organic nitrate ester that inhibit scale formation were investigated in order to acquire a better understanding of ferrous carbide precipitation from supersaturated solutions. When the scale inhibitor was present, precipitation rates were much lower than when it was missing, even at very low concentrations. When the temperature and time are increased simultaneously, more scale is deposited. The effect of nitrate ester on scale deposition demonstrates that the inhibitory dosage is relatively low at low temperatures but rapidly increases when exposed to high temperatures. The inhibitor is thought to alter the shape of the first crystals by binding to dynamic growth sites and inhibiting the threshold level of development.