The United States of America As Represented by the United States

The United States of America As Represented by the United States Energy

James R DeMonbrun

Charles R Schmitt

James M Schreyer

Everett H Williams

This invention is a method for inhibiting corrosion in aqueous systems containing components composed of aluminum, copper, iron, or alloys thereof. The method comprises (a) incorporating in the aqueous medium 2-10 ppm by weight of tolyltriazole; an effective amount of a biodegradable organic biocide; 500-1000 ppm by weight of sodium metasilicate; 500-2000 ppm by weight of sodium nitrite; and 500-2000 ppm by weight of sodium tetraborate, all of these concentrations being based on the weight of water in the system; and (b) maintaining the pH of the resulting system in the range of 7.5 to 8.0. The method permits longterm operation with very low corrosion rates and bacteria counts. All of the additives to the system are biodegradable, permitting the treated aqueous medium to be discharged to the environment without violating current regulations. The method has special application to solar systems in which an aqueous medium is circulated through aluminum-alloy heat exchangers.

Method for inhibiting corrosion in aqueous systems

This invention is an improved form of a conventional electrochemical process for removing hexavalent chromium or other metal-ion contaminants from cooling-tower blowdown water. In the conventional process, the contaminant is reduced and precipitated at an iron anode, thus forming a mixed precipitate of iron and chromium hydroxides, while hydrogen being evolved copiously at a cathode is vented from the electrochemical cell. In the conventional process, subsequent separation of the fine precipitate has proved to be difficult and inefficient. In accordance with this invention, the electrochemical operation is conducted in a novel manner permitting a much more efficient and less expensive precipitate-recovery operation. That is, the electrochemical operation is conducted under an evolved-hydrogen partial pressure exceeding atmospheric pressure. As a result, most of the evolved hydrogen is entrained as bubbles in the blowdown in the cell. The resulting hydrogen-rich blowdown is introduced to a vented chamber, where the entrained hydrogen combines with the precipitate to form a froth which can be separated by conventional techniques. In addition to the hydrogen, two materials present in most blowdown act as flotation promoters for the precipitate. These are (1) air, with which the blowdown water becomes saturated in the course of normal cooling-tower operation, and (2) surfactants which commonly are added to cooling-tower recirculating-water systems to inhibit the growth of certain organisms or prevent the deposition of insoluble particulates.

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Knoxville, TN, United States of America

James R DeMonbrun