Assessment of combined scale/corrosion inhibitors - A combined jar test/bubble cell

The multiple assessment of (i) bulk scale precipitation, (ii) surface scaling, (iii) general corrosion and (iv) localised corrosion permits a full assessment of the chemical blends propensity to mitigate both scaling and corrosion. Non-inhibited tests were initially conducted at 60 °C to form a baseline for comparison. Four combined scale/corrosion inhibitors were subsequently used at low concentrations in order to understand their mechanisms and highlight any competitive effect which existed in reducing either scale or corrosion. The results demonstrate that the methodology implemented is effective at assessing the efficiency of combined inhibitors in reducing both corrosion and scale in environments where both processes occur simultaneously. The limitations of conducting solely bulk scaling or corrosion tests in non-scaling environments are discussed relative to the results obtained in this work. The results of each individual inhibitor are discussed and markedly different behaviour is observed according to the concentration administered, as well as the particular blend of chemicals applied.