A process for treating water to inhibit scale formation

摘要

Described is a process for treating water to inhibit scale formation, comprising adding to the water an effective amount of a maleate copolymer having a weight average molecular weight of 500 to 7,000, a residual total monomer content of less than 1%, on a maleate copolymer dry weight basis, and comprising at least 50 mole percent of maleate monomer, whereby at least 70 mole percent of the carboxylic acid charge on the maleate monomer is neutralized prior to polymerization, and 10 to 50 mole percent of acrylate monomer.