| abstract |
The water-treatment processes of this invention utilize maleate copolymers to sequester water hardness ions, modify crystal formation in water and inhibit scale formation (e.g., in circulating water systems and oil field production systems), which polymers contain from about 40 to 70 mole percent of dicarboxylic functionality provided by a maleate monomer upon polymerization, from about 1 to about 15 mole percent of the polymerized residue of a non-ionic monomer, and from about 20 to about 50 mole percent of monocarboxylic functionality. |