Betz Laboratories, Inc.

John F McDowell

J Michael Brown

Kin-Tai Chang

A method of treating water to inhibit the formation of scale is disclosed. The method is particularly effective at inhibiting the formation and deposition of calcium and barium scales in aqueous systems such as cooling water systems. The method comprises introducing into the aqueous system a polyepoxysuccinic acid of the general formula ##STR1## when n ranges from about 2 to about 11, M is hydrogen or a water soluble cation such as Na.sup.+, NH.sub.4.sup.+, or K.sup.+ and R is hydrogen, C.sub.1-4 alkyl or C.sub.1-4 substituted alkyl.

Methods of controlling scale formation in aqueous systems

A method of treating water to inhibit the formation of scale is disclosed. The method is particularly effective at inhibiting the formation and deposition of calcium and barium scales in circulating aqueous systems such as cooling water systems. The method comprises introducing into the aqueous system a polyepoxysuccinic acid of the general formula ##STR1## where n ranges from about 2 to about 11, M is hydrogen or a water soluble cation such as Na.sup.+, NH.sub.4.sup.+, or K.sup.+ and R is hydrogen, C.sub.1-4 alkyl or C.sub.1-4 substituted alkyl.

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Spring, TX, United States of America

John F McDowell