Polyaminoamide dendrimers surface-modified with anionic terminal groups for use as calcium carbonate scale inhibitors

Abstract

Abstract Polyaminoamide dendrimers (PAMAM) surface-modified with anionic terminal groups (PIY) for use as scale inhibitors were prepared with the fourth-generation PAMAM and sodium acrylate (SAA), via the Michael addition reaction. The chemical structures of PIY were determined using Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectrometry and 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra. The influence of scale inhibitor concentration, Ca2+ concentration and bath temperature on the scale inhibition efficiency was researched. The study results signified that PIY can resist calcium carbonate scale as high as 92.8%. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns showed that amorphous calcium carbonate had generated in the presence of PIY dendrimers.