From Boiler to Oilfield: Six Months of HPMA at a Food Processing Plant

 A food processing plant in Shandong operated three 2 t/h steam boilers. It originally used trisodium phosphate for boiler water treatment, which required frequent blowdown, produced high turbidity in the boiler water, and required acid cleaning every quarter. After switching to HPMA treatment at a dosage of 8–12 mg/L, the plant ran continuously for six months without any descaling operation. Boiler thermal efficiency increased by about 7%, and annual water savings exceeded 5,000 tons.

This case shows that the value of HPMA is not only in “scale inhibition,” but also in shifting water treatment from “fix it after problems appear” to “continuous stable operation.” This characteristic comes from HPMA’s dual action in water: it chelates scale-forming cations to prevent precipitation, and at the same time causes lattice distortion in already-formed microcrystals so they cannot attach to metal surfaces.

The same mechanism has been verified in multiple industries. In oilfield water injection systems, HPMA is used to inhibit carbonate deposition in water pipelines. In flash seawater desalination units, HPMA compounded with HEDP and PAA maintains stable scale inhibition at feed temperatures above 50°C. In the textile industry, HPMA is also used as a component of scouring agents to help reduce fabric ash content.

Kairui Chemical’s HPMA products can be used alone or, preferably, compounded with organic phosphonates to improve overall performance. When used alone, the typical concentration is 1–15 mg/L. When compounded with EDTMPS at a 1:3 ratio, the scale inhibition rate can reach 98%. If you have specific water quality data or operating parameters, you can contact Kairui Chemical’s technical team directly for formulation recommendations: 0632-5228899 / sdouya@gmail.com.