antiscalant

plural antiscalants

1. chemistryMaterial preventing or slowing scaling of a surface.

   1 more example

   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.

   2001, Siobhán Francesca E. Boerlage, Scaling and Particulate Fouling in Membrane Filtration Systems, page 15

   Synonyms: scale control additive