A cleaning agent comprising a polyacrylate terpolymer and a maleic olefin compound may be added to an aqueous system having a metal surface, such as a metal surface of a heat exchanger, in a concentration sufficient to remove fouling deposits from the metal surface in neutral or alkaline conditions. The removal of fouling deposits with the application of the cleaning agent may occur while the system is shut down or in service.

A method of suspending elemental sulfur in water includes the steps of providing water including elemental sulfur and hydrogen sulfide and adding from about 1 to about 100 parts by weight of a sulfur suspension additive to the water based on one million parts by weight of the water to suspend the elemental sulfur in the water. The sulfur suspension additive is chosen from an alkyldiphenyloxide disulfonate or salt thereof, a secondary alcohol ethoxylate, a non-ionic ethylene oxide and/or propylene oxide copolymer, and combinations thereof.

Disclosed herein are compositions and methods of mitigating scale in phosphoric acid and ammonium phosphate plants. Scale-mitigating compositions of the invention can be added to phosphoric acid before or during the concentration in the evaporator cycle of a phosphoric acid plant. The compositions retard the formation of scale on surfaces in contact with the phosphoric acid, and thus time between cleaning is extended and plant productivity increased. Further, the scale that forms is softer and more easily cleaned from surfaces, reducing non-operation time of the plant and/or evaporator. Methods of mitigating scale formation in phosphoric acid production and phosphoric acid handling plants are disclosed. In the methods, scales accumulate more slowly and are softer, more tractable, and more easily cleaned from surfaces to which they adhere.

Disclosed herein are compositions and methods of mitigating scale in phosphoric acid and ammonium phosphate plants. Scale-mitigating compositions of the invention can be added to phosphoric acid before or during the concentration in the evaporator cycle of a phosphoric acid plant. The compositions retard the formation of scale on surfaces in contact with the phosphoric acid, and thus time between cleaning is extended and plant productivity increased. Further, the scale that forms is softer and more easily cleaned from surfaces, reducing non-operation time of the plant and/or evaporator. Methods of mitigating scale formation in phosphoric acid production and phosphoric acid handling plants are disclosed. In the methods, scales accumulate more slowly and are softer, more tractable, and more easily cleaned from surfaces to which they adhere.

A method of removing mineral scales from a substrate with minimized corrosion of the substrate includes the steps of providing an acid solution providing a corrosion inhibitor solution, applying the acid solution to the substrate to remove mineral scales therefrom, and applying the corrosion inhibitor solution to the substrate to minimize corrosion thereof. The acid solution includes a mineral acid, an organic acid, or a combination thereof. The corrosion inhibitor solution includes an alpha-beta unsaturated aldehyde, a hydrophobic amine, and an oxime. The corrosion inhibitor solution optionally includes formic acid, a surfactant, and a solvent.

An aqueous modified acid composition for use in oil industry activities, said composition comprising: an amino acid, an alkanolamine and strong acid wherein the mineral acid: alkanolamine/amino acid are present in a molar ratio of not more than 15:1, preferably not more than 10:1; it can also further comprise a metal iodide or iodate. Said composition demonstrates advantages over known conventional acids and modified acids.

A process for forming a descaling composition has the steps of macerating a bone meal with a dimethylamine solution, digesting the macerated bone meal with hydrochloric acid, neutralizing the digested bone meal with calcium oxide, treating the neutralized bone meal with sulfuric acid, and applying a refluxing treatment with dimethylamine and hydrazine hydrate. The process further includes removing the macerated bone meal solids from the dimethylamine solution and transferring the removed solids to an extraction tower prior to the step of digesting. The hydrochloric acid is circulated through the macerated bone meal. The treated bone meal and the sulfuric acid is filtered so as to produce a liquid phase and a solids phase. The liquid phase contains a phosphate amine. The dimethylamine and hydrazine hydrate are added to the liquid phase.

A process for forming a descaling composition has the steps of macerating a bone meal with a dimethylamine solution, digesting the macerated bone meal with hydrochloric acid, neutralizing the digested bone meal with calcium oxide, treating the neutralized bone meal with sulfuric acid, and applying a refluxing treatment with dimethylamine and hydrazine hydrate. The process further includes removing the macerated bone meal solids from the dimethylamine solution and transferring the removed solids to an extraction tower prior to the step of digesting. The hydrochloric acid is circulated through the macerated bone meal. The treated bone meal and the sulfuric acid is filtered so as to produce a liquid phase and a solids phase. The liquid phase contains a phosphate amine. The dimethylamine and hydrazine hydrate are added to the liquid phase.

Methods, compositions, and kit(s) for removing corrosion or scale from a metal or a non-metal article are disclosed. In a first stage of the method, an article exhibiting corrosion can be exposed to an acid wash composition including a first acid component having one or more of HCl, Phosphoric Acid, Oxalic Acid, a second acid inhibitor/surfactant component including ethoxylated alkyl mercaptan, and a third thixotropic gelling agent component including Talc or Fumed silica, sufficient to cause gelling of the acid wash composition. In a second stage of the method performed subsequent to the first stage, the article can be exposed to an acid neutralizing composition comprising bicarbonate, borax, isopropyl alcohol and water.

The present invention provides, a method of controlling scale formation in a hydrocarbon producing system, comprising; (i) injecting nanoparticles into said system to function as nuclei for scale growth; (if) allowing scale growth to occur on said nanoparticles to produce nanoparticles comprising scale; and. (in) optionally recovering said nanoparticles comprising scale.