An exploratory program was conducted to evaluate a number of polymers and catboxylic acid combinations with polymers as non-phosphorus containing, all organic corrosion inhibitors for cold water systems such as evaporative towers. The concentrations of treatment were
approximately those which would obtain for current commercial formulations. There was a strong dependency of performance on the “aggressiveness” of the water, especially the conductivity. The polymers were adequate for non-aggressive waters, and one, polymaleic acid
(as the sodium salt) performed reasonably in somewhat more corrosive systems. Certain alkenyl substituted dibasic acids were also found to perform well in the less challenging waters as did simpler dibasic materials such as maleic, fumaric and aspartic acids. A tetrabasic acid with the carboxyl groups located in proximity to each other ( because of ring-imposed restrictions) (bicyclo[2.2.2]oct-7-ene-2,3,5,6-tetracarboxylic acid), BTA, in combination with certain, but, not all, polymers showed considerable promise. Keywords: Carboxylic acids, maleic acid, fumaric acid, aspartic acid, polymers, Bicyclooctene tetracarboxylic acid, conductivity, acid/polymer combinations, passivation, self-passivation,
biodegradation, interactions