InterviewInterest rises for maleic acid-based antiscalants – US BWA

24 March 2011 15:48  [Source: ICIS news]

By Doris de Guzman

NEW YORK (ICIS)--US-based BWA Water Additives expects increased interest in certain maleic acid-based antiscalants in water treatment systems on the back of their biodegradability profile and rising acrylic acid prices, its president said on Thursday.

Antiscalants prevent the formation of solid deposits in water treatment systems known as scale, which can inhibit operations.

Maleic acid-based antiscalants typically exhibit better performance, but have been more expensive than their acrylic-based counterparts in the past.

But continued high prices in the acrylates market are making maleic acid-based antiscalants more competitive, said Paul Turgeon, president of BWA Water Additives, in an interview with ICIS.

Maleic acid-based antiscalants are also inherently more biodegradable, added Turgeon.

 “The PMA [polymaleic acid] anstiscalants are phosphorus-free products and can be a direct replacement for phosphonate and acrylic antiscalants,” he said.

In the past six months, the company has promoted its new biodegradable PMA antiscalants under the trade names Belaclene 800 and 810, designed for cooling and process water applications.

Turgeon said the new antiscalants have the lowest environmental impact in the industry. They are around 50% biodegradable, within the 20-65% “inherently biodegradable” range according to the OECD (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development) test on fresh water biodegradation.

Acrylic-based antiscalants typically are less than 10% biodegradable, while other maleic acid-based antiscalants are about 20% biodegradable, according to the OECD test.

The company is aiming for over 65% biodegradability for its maleic acid-based antiscalants in the future, which would put them in the OECD category of “readily biodegradable”.

BWA also introduced this month in North America a new biocide under the tradename Bellacide 303, designed for industrial water treatment.

Turgeon said the new biocide, a next-generation quaternary phosphonium salt based on tributyl tetradecyl phosphonium chloride, offers wide-spectrum protection, inhibits slime formation and is more effective than currently-available products on the market.

The new biocide could reduce the need for halogen biocides, which are based on either chlorine or bromine, in water treatment systems. It is compatible with halogen biocides as well, Turgeon added.

With help from the newly-launched products, BWA is seeking to soon reach a level of 20% in sales from products introduced in the past five years.

The company expects sales growth of 10-20% in 2011 from over $140m (€99m) in sales in 2010.

Additional reporting by Joseph Chang

($1 = €0.71)

By: Doris de Guzman
+1 713 525 2653

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