Failure of a Threshold Inhibitor protection program.

Which are the reasons of a failure of a Threshold Inhibitor?

·      The most usual reason of a failure is bad treatment design. A Threshold Inhibitor is an antiprecipitant and not an antiscalent.

So, if deposits are already present, or ready crystallization nuclei can reach the heated surfaces, created somewhere else (p.e. lime softening as make-up treatment, lake or river origin or high residence time of make-up in open reservoirs before its use, or spontaneous very high temperatures in other non-critical places of the system etc) treatment can fail, even properly designed.

·      Unstability of the system. Most Cooling Water Systems are non-stable. And we are not talking only for the small systems. We found, by running turn-around to a power plant’s system (volume 350.000 m3), during winter, Cycles of Concentration fluctuation from 3.6 (at noon) till 1.63 at 4:00 in the morning. And T.I. application requires STABLE CONDITIONS.

·      Establishment of BIOFILMS. Unfortunately, all efficient Threshold Inhibitors are nutrient for microorganisms. And biofilms are formed onto the metal surfaces, preferably onto the heating surfaces.

Scale constituents are easily reaching the surface, not inhibited from the microorganisms of the biofilm. Actually biofilms promote the scale formation as to make their house more stable, comfortable and protective.

In contrary, the Threshold Inhibitor has difficulties to reach the scaling surface, slowly penetrating to the slime mass, and inside captured and “eaten” from microorganisms.

So, while the T.I. concentration into the bulk water is more than correct, its presence onto the heating surface, where scale is formed is completely zero.

·      Technology and know-how behind the product. Nothing is perfect, so the product has to be a mixture of well known ingredients, in specific relative concentrations and proven and confirmed qualities.

·      Experience of the serviceman. The application’s quality is the quality level of the person observing the application. And a T.I. application is cost effective, but sensitive. Imagine the spaceship Columbia designed by a small kid. Why to risk your plant?

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