The present invention relates to a method of treating aqueous fluid and apparatus therefor. The method comprises adding an organic compound to a mass of aqueous fluid comprising at least one Kinetic Hydrate Inhibitor (KHI). The organic compound comprises a hydrophobic tail and a hydrophilic head. The hydrophobic tail comprises at least one C—H bond and the hydrophilic head comprises at least one of: a hydroxyl (—OH) group; and a carboxyl (—COOH) group.

Methods of cleaning and sanitizing membrane modules within a membrane system are provided. A cleaning solution is circulated through the membrane system for about 2 to about 30 minutes. The cleaning solution includes organic acid and surfactant. A sanitizing solution is added to the cleaning solution to produce a boosted antimicrobial solution comprising an oxidizer. The boosted antimicrobial solution is then circulated through the membrane system for about 1 to about 20 minutes. The methods described are effective for reducing and removing bacterial spores and biofilms from membranes and improving membrane compatibility of effective cleaning and sanitizing solutions.

Embodiments relate a method of treating a water system that includes providing to the water system a fluorescent-tagged treatment polymer that is the reaction product of a mixture that includes at least one unsaturated monomer, at least one initiator with at least one reactive terminal group for reacting with the unsaturated monomer, and at least one fluorescent chain transfer agent, the at least one fluorescent chain transfer agent having a phosphorus-hydrogen or sulfur-hydrogen group connected to a polyaromatic hydrocarbon group having from two to ten rings, and the at least one fluorescent chain transfer agent being a chain transfer agent that controls final polymer molecular weight of the fluorescent-tagged treatment polymer and a fluorescent tag for the fluorescent-tagged treatment polymer.

Disclosed are a composition for an electrode binder of a capacitive deionization apparatus including at least one a hydrophilic polymer and a bifunctional cross-linking agent having a hydroxy group or a carboxyl group at both terminal ends, and at least one anion exchange group therein, and the bifunctional cross-linking agent being cross-linkable with the at least one hydrophilic polymer, an electrode for a capacitive deionization apparatus including the composition, a capacitive deionization apparatus including the electrode, and a method of removing ions from a liquid by using the capacitive deionization apparatus.

A water softener, detergent compositions and co-granulates contain an effervescent agent and pectin. Unit portions contain the co-granulates or compositions. The compositions or co-granulates can be used in a water-soluble and/or water-dispersible water softening, cleaning or detergent formulations, and pectin can be used to stabilize effervescent tablets. The effervescent agent can contain an acidic component such as a tricarboxylic acid, a dicarboxylic acid other than tartaric acid, inorganic acids, and a basic component.

An anti-scale electrochemical apparatus comprises at least one ion exchange cell, each cell comprising a housing having a plurality of openings to receive and release a water stream, inner and outer electrodes in the housing, and a water-splitting membrane between the inner and outer electrodes to treat an influent water stream to form an effluent water stream. A controlled-release scale-inhibitor composite comprising a scale-inhibitor agent and a polymer, is provided in the housing or in the water flow pathway of the electrochemical apparatus. An anti-scale, water splitting ion exchange membrane was also fabricated.

Disclosed herein is a method for inhibiting scale comprising adding to a fluid that causes scale formation a polycarboxylic acid having a polymer backbone and a plurality of branches from the polymer backbone.

Disclosed are compounds of formula (I)
(R.sup.1OOC).sub.a—R.sup.2(OH).sub.c—COO—(C.sub.nH.sub.2n—O).sub.m—OC—R.sup.3(OH).sub.d—(COOR.sup.4).sub.b  (I)
wherein R.sup.1 and R.sup.4 independently of one another are hydrogen, a metal cation, an ammonium cation, C.sub.1-C.sub.6-alkyl, cycloalkyl with three to nine ring carbon atoms, aryl with five to ten ring carbon atoms, aryl that is substituted with one or two alkyl groups, aryl that is connected via an alkylene group with the carboxyl group, —(C.sub.nH.sub.2n—O).sub.m—H or —O—R.sup.2(COOR1).sub.a+1,
R.sup.2 and R.sup.3 independently of one another are aliphatic hydrocarbon residues with one to eight carbon atoms,
a and b independently of one another are integers from 1 to 4,
c is an integer from 0 to 4,
d is an integer from 1 to 4,
n is 2, 3 or 4, and
m is 1, 2, 3 or 4, with the proviso that
R.sup.1 and R.sup.4 may be different within a molecule within the given definitions. These compounds are characterized by a very good complexation power for metal cations and can be used in detergents and cleaning agents, in oil extraction and for water softening.

Disclosed are compounds of formula (I)
(R.sup.1OOC).sub.a—R.sup.2(OH).sub.c—COO—(C.sub.nH.sub.2n—O).sub.m—OC—R.sup.3(OH).sub.d—(COOR.sup.4).sub.b  (I)
wherein R.sup.1 and R.sup.4 independently of one another are hydrogen, a metal cation, an ammonium cation, C.sub.1-C.sub.6-alkyl, cycloalkyl with three to nine ring carbon atoms, aryl with five to ten ring carbon atoms, aryl that is substituted with one or two alkyl groups, aryl that is connected via an alkylene group with the carboxyl group, —(C.sub.nH.sub.2n—O).sub.m—H or —O—R.sup.2(COOR1).sub.a+1,
R.sup.2 and R.sup.3 independently of one another are aliphatic hydrocarbon residues with one to eight carbon atoms,
a and b independently of one another are integers from 1 to 4,
c is an integer from 0 to 4,
d is an integer from 1 to 4,
n is 2, 3 or 4, and
m is 1, 2, 3 or 4, with the proviso that
R.sup.1 and R.sup.4 may be different within a molecule within the given definitions. These compounds are characterized by a very good complexation power for metal cations and can be used in detergents and cleaning agents, in oil extraction and for water softening.

A method of inhibiting scale in an industrial water system includes the steps of dosing the industrial water system with a water treatment polymer comprising at least 10 mol % of carboxylic acid monomer and a quaternized naphthalimide fluorescent monomer as disclosed herein, and then monitoring the fluorescence of the water system. The polymers are also useful for flocculation and coagulation in wastewater treatment.