antiscalant

English

Etymology

From anti- +‎ scale +‎ -ant.

Noun

antiscalant (plural antiscalants)

1. (chemistry) Material preventing or slowing scaling of a surface.
   • 2001, Siobhán Francesca E. Boerlage, Scaling and Particulate Fouling in Membrane Filtration Systems‎^[1], page 15:

     Antiscalants inhibit scaling by one or more of the following mechanisms: threshold effect which keeps scalant ions in solution, crystal distortion by absorbing onto the crystal surface at active sites preventing further growth, and finally by dispersancy where a surface charge is added onto the crystals so that they repel one another, reducing their ability to adhere to each other and equipment surfaces, hence, they remain in solution.

Synonyms

• scale control additive