Ortho-Polyphosphate Corrosion Inhibitors

Since the late 1980s, a new type of corrosion inhibitor has become increasingly popular in treating many water supplies. These inhibitors, classified as ortho/polyphosphate blends, represent a blend of two previous technologies that have been established over a much longer period of time. What follows is a bit about the history of ortho/polyphosphates, their mode of action, and applications where they may be likely to yield results.
olyphosphates (and when combined with a zinc source is sometimes referred to as bimetallic phosphates) have been used in treating drinking water supplies since the 1950s. Orthophosphates (specifically zinc orthophosphates) were first used in the late 1960s by Long Beach, CA. As polyphosphates will revert to the orthophosphate form over a period of time, the use of ortho/polyphosphate blends has actually been going on for as long a time as polyphosphates have been used in treating potable water. It was not, however, until the 1980s that some vendors began intentionally adding orthophosphate to a polyphosphate source to market a blended product. Today a full range of phosphate products with or without the addition of zinc is available.

Composition and Mode of Action

As the name implies, an ortho/polyphosphate blend is a product containing concentrations of an orthophosphate and polyphosphate source. As is the case with all phosphate based inhibitors, the properties of corrosion protection can be directly attributed to the film forming action of the inhibitor on the surface of the material being protected. The more uniform and tenacious the film, the better the corro48

sion protection. This film forming action can be the result of a number of mechanisms with the two most prevalent being either anodic or cathodic deposition. Without going into great detail, it is important to note that the deposition of a protective film is dependent essentially on a chemical precipitation process in the immediate area of the corroding surface. The environment within which this precipitation/film forming process takes place is typically different in some way from the bulk water environment. It is these differences that trigger the precipitation that leads to the deposition of the protective barrier that stifles further corrosion. An example of the above would be illustrated by the pH change that occurs in cathodic and anodic sites on a corroding metal. The solubility of various phosphate salts and compounds is often pH dependent. As the phosphate passes through the cathodic or anodic sites where the pH differs from that of the bulk water supply, the phosphate undergoes a change that results in the precipitation of a phosphate containing compound, which, hopefully, will attach itself to the active anode or cathode. Some of these compounds may form at higher and others lower pHs than the bulk water pH, which will determine whether the inhibitor is acting as a anodic or cathodic corrosion inhibitor. While the pH is probably the most

active player in promoting this film forming process, other factors undoubtedly play a role as well. Examples of these other factors likely include differences in oxidation potentials, corrosion byproducts, concentrations and chemical form of the phosphate, concentrations of other organic or inorganic compounds, or a combination of factors which, when present simultaneously, trigger the precipitation/film forming process.

Selection of Ortho/Poly Ratio

This is probably the most difficult and fickle step to undertake in the proper selection of the inhibitor. This is because, as previously mentioned, there are many factors that effect the film forming process that are not fully understood. As all waters differ from one another in their respective chemical makeup, it is virtually impossible to predict the effects of one ratio against another without experimentation. As it is known that both the ortho and poly forms of phosphate will form protective films under certain conditions, it cannot be determined which form should be maximized without a fair amount of study. Having said this, there are several theories regarding the role that each form plays in the film forming process. One popular theory rests on the known fact that polyphosphate will act to sequester cations in aqueous solutions while orthophosphates will not. It is also www.govengr.com

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known that this sequestration property of polyphosphates has synergistic effects, which means that a small amount of polyphosphate will sequester a large amount of reactive cations. According to this theory, only enough polyphosphate should be added to the water supply to ensure that adequate sequestration takes place. An overdose of polyphosphate will act to strip the protective orthophosphate film so its concentrations should be minimized. Once the reactive cations (i.e., calcium, iron, and manganese) have been sequestered, which results in the concentrations of polyphosphate being consumed in this process, the orthophosphates will have the opportunity to react in the anodic or cathodic sites to form a protective film. In the absence of sufficient polyphosphate to sequester these reactive cations, the orthophosphate concentrations are consumed by forming premature precipitates with these cations rendering their resulting concentrations to be too low to form protective films at the actively corroding sites. Essentially, the polyphosphate plays the role of the sacrificial lamb in allowing the orthophosphate to remain available to do its job. Of course, if the application of the inhibitor is for sequestration purposes, the answer is easy. Choose the inhibitor with the best bang for the buck to maximize polyphosphate concentrations. It is doubtful that the presence of orthophosphate will be of any value in sequestering any metals in solution.

Conclusions
Ortho/polyphosphate corrosion inhibitors can often times be the best choice in selecting an inhibitor to solve a corrosion related problem. They are more environmentally friendly than some of the other alternatives as they contain no zinc, which can sometimes be considered objectionable. As they can, however, contribute to the growth of algae in open reservoirs, their use should be applied with caution where GE open reservoirs exist. The preceding is courtesy of Sweetwater Technologies, www.sweetwatertech.com. Part 5 of this series will discuss potable organic polymerstypes and applications. www.govengr.com GOVERNMENT ENGINEERING

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