Scale Inhibition in Hard Water System

Abstract

The precipitation of an insulating layer of scaling on the walls of the water distribution pipes has serious technical and economic consequences. Various methods were used to prevent the scale formation in water such as the chemical methods in which the germination of the CaCO3 crystals is blocked using the inhibitor. In recent years, a few studies have been focused on the aspects of the surface scaling so that the different mechanisms were proposed to explain the differences between the scaling precipitation in bulk solution and scale deposition at the surface. The water distribution of some Algerian town resulting from the drilling water is supersaturated with respect to calcium carbonate. This causes reducing heat transfer in heat exchanger systems, limiting the efficiency of these devices (valves and taps) by decreasing the flow rate in the pipes; this phenomenon is more prevalent at high heating temperature. In this book chapter, we aim to give an overview of the different antiscaling properties in hard water. We also provide the inhibitors used and the researches done on Algerian water.