Formation and Inhibition of Calcium Carbonate Crystals under Cathodic Polarization Conditions

The formation of CaCO3 crystals on the cathode surface and the scale-inhibition performance of scale inhibitor 2-phosphonobutane-1,2,4-tricarboxylic acid (PBTCA) on the cathode surface were studied by methods of solution analysis, gravimetric analysis, SEM, FTIR, and XRD techniques. They were then compared with the results of the formation and suppression of CaCO3 crystals in aqueous solution. PBTCA had a good solution-scale-inhibition performance and good lattice-distortion effects on CaCO3 crystals in solution, which could change the CaCO3 from calcite to vaterite and aragonite crystals. The solution-scale-inhibition efficiency exceeded 97% when the PBTCA concentration reached 8 mg/L. Under cathodic polarization conditions, the surface-scale-inhibition efficiency of the cathode and solution-scale-inhibition efficiency near the cathode surface both exceed 97% at polarization potential of −1V. The addition of PBTCA significantly reduced the amount of CaCO3 crystals formed on the cathode surface and had good surface and solution-scale-inhibition effect. However, the lattice-distortion effect of PBTCA on CaCO3 crystals disappeared on the cathode surface, and the resulting CaCO3 contained only calcite crystals. The high-scale-inhibition effect of PBTCA under cathodic polarization was mainly due to the inhibition of the formation of calcium carbonate crystals by PBTCA, and not because of the lattice distortion of CaCO3 crystals.