Anti-scaling properties of zinc ion and copper ion in the recycling water

This paper investigated the respective applications of zinc and copper ions as inhibitors in the recycling water. The results show when their concentrations are not less than 0.5 mg L⁻¹, the treated water is clear as usual. However, their scaling on the tube wall still lasts. In the solution of zinc ion, the weight of precipitation on the tube wall always increases stably; but in the solution of copper ion, that increases less stably; besides, when the concentration of copper ion is beyond 2 mg L⁻¹, the increase of precipitation weight on the tube wall has become small. All of which showed different scaling mechanisms. For the solution of zinc ion, the scaling on the tube wall increases stably because of the homogeneous germs. However, in the solution of copper ion, the different types of copper ion germs will be adsorbed selectively by the tube wall because of heterogeneous germs, or the part of having been adsorbed germs onto the tube wall will be washed out.