Chemical fouling inhibitors are products that are mixtures of

fouling Fouling is the accumulation of unwanted material on solid surfaces. The fouling materials can consist of either living organisms (biofouling) or a non-living substance (inorganic or organic). Fouling is usually distinguished from other surf ...

and

corrosion Corrosion is a natural process that converts a refined metal into a more chemically stable oxide. It is the gradual deterioration of materials (usually a metal) by chemical or electrochemical reaction with their environment. Corrosion engine ...

inhibitors use in

boiler feedwater treatment Boiler feedwater is an essential part of boiler operations. The feed water is put into the steam drum from a feed pump. In the steam drum the feed water is then turned into steam from the heat. After the steam is used it is then dumped to the mai ...

. Several of these products use

aliphatic In organic chemistry, hydrocarbons ( compounds composed solely of carbon and hydrogen) are divided into two classes: aromatic compounds and aliphatic compounds (; G. ''aleiphar'', fat, oil). Aliphatic compounds can be saturated, like hexane, or ...

polyamines to coat the surface of pipes.

Helamin

Helamin is a

based on

amines In chemistry, amines (, ) are compounds and functional groups that contain a basic nitrogen atom with a lone pair. Amines are formally derivatives of ammonia (), wherein one or more hydrogen atoms have been replaced by a substituent such ...

and

polyamine A polyamine is an organic compound having more than two amino groups. Alkyl polyamines occur naturally, but some are synthetic. Alkylpolyamines are colorless, hygroscopic, and water soluble. Near neutral pH, they exist as the ammonium derivatives. ...

s. Helamin is a registered trademark of Helamin Technology Holding SA, Switzerland. Patents have been obtained for Helamin products, and in 2016, the following patents exist
EP1045045, JP4663046, HK1032080, BR9903614
Chemically, most of the Helamin types are stated by the manufacturer to be a "mixture of

s and polycarboxylates in aqueous solution", but some also utilize volatile amines,

ammonia Ammonia is an inorganic compound of nitrogen and hydrogen with the formula . A stable binary hydride, and the simplest pnictogen hydride, ammonia is a colourless gas with a distinct pungent smell. Biologically, it is a common nitrogenous was ...

polyelectrolyte Polyelectrolytes are polymers whose repeating units bear an electrolyte group. Ion#Anions and cations, Polycations and polyanions are polyelectrolytes. These groups dissociation (chemistry), dissociate in aqueous solutions (water), making the pol ...

s, organic polymers, and scavengers of dissolved oxygen. In contrast to the conventional method of the water treatment, its action is based on a preventive protection of the surfaces. Helamin forms a film (i.e., is one of numerous available "filming amines"), which prevents corrosion and

on the water-side walls in

steam boiler Steam is a substance containing water in the gas phase, and sometimes also an aerosol of liquid water droplets, or air. This may occur due to evaporation or due to boiling, where heat is applied until water reaches the enthalpy of vaporization. ...

s and piping systems, due to the affinity of Helamin to metal and oxide surfaces.

Crystal A crystal or crystalline solid is a solid material whose constituents (such as atoms, molecules, or ions) are arranged in a highly ordered microscopic structure, forming a crystal lattice that extends in all directions. In addition, macros ...

s which form in the presence of Helamine are isolated, so that they do not tend to group themselves. Thus deposit consolidation is inhibited. Already existing

oxide An oxide () is a chemical compound that contains at least one oxygen atom and one other element in its chemical formula. "Oxide" itself is the dianion of oxygen, an O2– (molecular) ion. with oxygen in the oxidation state of −2. Most of the E ...

surface deposits are gradually removed. In the boiler, a fine, liquid mud, which is easier to remove from the boiler walls, develops. Helamin does not significantly decompose even at high

temperature Temperature is a physical quantity that expresses quantitatively the perceptions of hotness and coldness. Temperature is measured with a thermometer. Thermometers are calibrated in various temperature scales that historically have relied o ...

and

pressure Pressure (symbol: ''p'' or ''P'') is the force applied perpendicular to the surface of an object per unit area over which that force is distributed. Gauge pressure (also spelled ''gage'' pressure)The preferred spelling varies by country and e ...

employed in the modern sub-critical -water power-plant boilers. Helamin treatment can be successfully employed in

steam generator A Steam generator is a device used to boil water to create steam. More specifically, it may refer to: *Boiler (steam generator), a closed vessel in which water is heated under pressure *Monotube steam generator *Supercritical steam generator or Ben ...

s, warm and hot water piping systems,

superheater A superheater is a device used to convert saturated steam or wet steam into superheated steam or dry steam. Superheated steam is used in steam turbines for electricity generation, steam engines, and in processes such as steam reforming. There ar ...

s, as well as cooling circuits to mitigate some of the difficult problems of the corrosion and fouling. However, cation

conductivity Conductivity may refer to: *Electrical conductivity, a measure of a material's ability to conduct an electric current **Conductivity (electrolytic), the electrical conductivity of an electrolyte in solution **Ionic conductivity (solid state), elec ...

of water tends to increase with the use of Helamin.

Fineamin

Fineamin is an anticorrosion water treatment technology based on filming

s and dispersive

polymer A polymer (; Greek '' poly-'', "many" + ''-mer'', "part") is a substance or material consisting of very large molecules called macromolecules, composed of many repeating subunits. Due to their broad spectrum of properties, both synthetic a ...

s. The manufacturing of the amine-based technology is done in Switzerland by h2o facilities SA, Geneva and it is ISO9001:2015 and ISO14001:2015 certified. Chemically, the Fineamin products are described by the manufacturer to be a "mixture of polyamines and polycarboxylates in aqueous solution", but some contain also volatile and neutralizing amines, organic polymers and/or organic oxygen scavengers (DEHA). Fineamin reacts by forming a protective, homogeneous film on all metal surfaces, improving the existing magnetite layer and acting as a barrier against water carryover and residual oxygen. It prevents the contact of the electrolyte with the metal surface without reducing the heat transfer, while any crystals which do form in its presence are isolated, and any tendency of accumulation is inhibited. Any existing corrosion products and deposits get dispersed and gently removed. Fineamin treatment is used against corrosion and

in steam

boiler A boiler is a closed vessel in which fluid (generally water) is heated. The fluid does not necessarily boil. The heated or vaporized fluid exits the boiler for use in various processes or heating applications, including water heating, central h ...

s, warm and hot water piping systems,

s, as well as cooling circuits. Fineamin is an environmentally friendly technology and does not significantly decompose even at high

and

required by the modern power-plant boilers. It can be used in steam water circuits with pressures up to 220 bar and temperatures up to 540°C due to a very low degradation ratio. Fineamin generates ammonia and acetate in an almost insignificant quantity – as low as 1 ppb for 1 ppm of dosed product. However, cation

of water tends to increase with the use of Fineamin.A.Bursik, "Polyamine/Amine Treatment - A Reasonable Alternative for Conditioning High Pressure Cycles with Drum Boilers", Power Plant Chemistry, 2004,(6)9. http://www.ppchem.net/issues/09-04.php The treatment also has an alkalizing effect on the boiler feed water and steam (the pH is maintained at optimal values). Fineamin was developed in accordance with TÜV requirements and it holds the following certifications: * Readily biodegradable, with a

biodegradability Biodegradation is the breakdown of organic matter by microorganisms, such as bacteria and fungi. It is generally assumed to be a natural process, which differentiates it from composting. Composting is a human-driven process in which biodegradati ...

rate of 90% by Eurofins Ecotoxicologie France (Test report n° 20FER6-1175 – 2020/12/09); * Safe for district heating - independently tested by the Institute of Hygiene of Ruhrgebiets (DIN EN 1717 and DIN 1988-100) and approved as being fit for usage in district heating systems and domestic hot water production; * Acceptable for treating boilers, steam lines and / or cooling systems in food industry (G7 – Boiler treatment products with no food contact) - NSF Registration No: 159640.

References

{{Reflist, refs= {{Cite journal , first=A. , last=Bursik , title=Polyamine/Amine Treatment - A Reasonable Alternative for Conditioning High Pressure Cycles with Drum Boilers , journal=Power Plant Chemistry , year=2004 , volume=6 , issue=9 , url=http://www.ppchem.net/free/ppchem-free-9-2004-2.pdf , pages=549–555 , archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20071009180755/http://www.ppchem.net/free/ppchem-free-9-2004-2.pdf , archivedate=2007-10-09 Fouling Steam boilers Corrosion prevention Water treatment

Helamin

Fineamin

See also

References