What are Film Forming Treatments?
Filming treatments have been successfully used in Europe for over two decades and are gaining popularity in the U.S. as scale and corrosion inhibitors. These treatments can be referred to as filming technology, filming agents, or film forming amines (FFA), but they are all the same family of products.
Preventing scale and corrosion in heating and cooling applications is a major concern in industrial water treatment.
Traditional chemistries have been used to treat the water with the goal of preventing scale and corrosion on all metal surfaces. FFAs are different in that they treat the metal surfaces of the system and not the water, by creating a film or barrier on all surfaces.
How Do FFAs Work?
FFA have water-repellent tendencies causing them to adsorb to all metal surfaces, creating a film throughout the system. This dewetting of the metal surfaces inhibits scale and corrosion by preventing hardness and dissolved gasses from reaching the system. FFAs are an effective option for clean systems, however, they are also very effective at penetrating and removing deposits in dirty systems.
What Applications are FFAs Suited for?
FFAs are used mostly for steam boiler applications, but filming technology is also being evaluated in hot and chilled closed loops.
Film Forming Amine Benefits:
- Forms an ultra-thin protective surface barrier on all metal surfaces to prevent corrosion and scaling.
- Replaces up to 3 traditional chemistries with an all-in-one organic formula. This minimizes chemical handling and allows for safer handling.
- Gradually loosens and lifts existing scale and prevents new deposits. This improves heat transfer ultimately lowering energy costs.
- Improves condensate quality, lowering blowdown frequency.
- No mixing or diluting – reduces operator involvement by up to 80%.Reduces maintenance costs and prolongs equipment life.
- Simplifies water testing meaning more time can be spent on other things.
Filming Amine Results
Companies are demanding effective solutions that are also sustainable. FFAs are different than traditional chemistries and they are changing how we treat and protect our systems. They allow us to effectively treat systems with lower doses and little to no detectable discharge levels. They also reduce deliveries, improve efficiency, and prolong equipment life. All of this means a safer, more effective way to treat the system. This ultimately drive more profits to the bottom line through manpower, energy, water, chemical and safety cost reduction.
To learn more about our
filming products, and if they might be a good fit for your application reach out to Watertech at 414-425-3339 or info@watertechusa.com.