Water Treatment Chemicals - Three Categories of Water Treatment Agents
1. General Chemicals: Originally referring to inorganic chemical products used in water treatment, such as aluminum sulfate, sulfuric acid, sodium hydroxide, etc.
2. Specialized Water Treatment Chemicals: Including ion-exchange resins, activated carbon, inorganic polymeric aluminum chloride, lime, alum, etc.; as well as organic water treatment chemicals (such as polyacrylamide, potassium salts, polyamines, and polyquaternary ammonium salts).
3. Formulated Chemicals: Including corrosion inhibitors, scale inhibitors, biocides, and combustion aids.
The History of Water Treatment Chemicals
Water treatment chemicals-also known as water treatment agents-were sometimes referred to as "water quality stabilizers" in the 1970s. They primarily denote chemical substances used in industrial water treatment applications, including the treatment of cooling water, boiler water, and oilfield water. These substances encompass scale inhibitors, corrosion inhibitors, dispersants, biocides/algicides, defoamers, flocculants, oxygen scavengers, sludge conditioners, and chelating agents. Coagulants and flocculants used in the treatment of raw water and wastewater are also classified as water treatment chemicals. Furthermore, activated carbon and ion-exchange resins constitute important categories of water treatment chemicals.
In 1992, global sales of water treatment agents amounted to US$2.837 billion (excluding activated carbon, ion-exchange resins, combustion additives, and general inorganic coagulants). Of this total, the United States accounted for US$1.479 billion, Western Europe for US$483 million, and Japan for US$575 million. Statistics indicate that there are over 500 companies in the United States engaged in the production and provision of services related to water treatment agents, with a primary focus on technical services. The Western European water treatment market is largely dominated by U.S. companies, with only a limited number of indigenous water treatment firms operating within individual Western European nations. However, Western European manufacturers hold a distinct advantage in the field of organic polymer flocculants-particularly polyacrylamide products. Coupled with a production capacity deficit for powdered products in the United States, Western European companies have successfully captured the majority of this market segment; moreover, several Western European firms have also wrested portions of the South Korean and Middle Eastern markets away from Japanese manufacturers. Japan, too, is home to a large number of companies engaged in the production and technical servicing of water treatment agents, with more than 20 firms specifically dedicated to the manufacturing and technical support of cooling water treatment agents. Water treatment technology in my country originated in the 1950s; concurrently with the introduction of chemical engineering technologies from the former Soviet Union, the use of inorganic phosphates as water treatment agents began. In the 1970s-alongside the importation of large-scale fertilizer production facilities-water treatment technologies were also introduced, primarily through the licensing of technology from Betz Laboratories (USA). In the early 1980s, further advancements were made with the introduction of phosphate ester-based water treatment technology from Nalco (USA) and the T-225 alkaline water treatment formulation from Kurita (Japan).
Building upon this foundation, my country subsequently developed localized water treatment technologies and domestically produced water treatment agents. Wastewater treatment technology evolved from the primary treatment methods employed in the 1960s to predominantly utilize secondary treatment processes. While the production of flocculants and coagulants began as early as the 1950s, their application in industrial production did not become widespread until the 1960s; the 1980s witnessed the development of numerous novel chemical agents.
The production of organic flocculants in my country is dominated by the polyacrylamide series, with non-ionic and anionic varieties constituting the majority of the product mix, while cationic products remain relatively scarce. Among the manufacturers in this sector, the Northern Jiahui Chemical Plant in Liaocheng, Shandong Province, stands out for its substantial production volume and extensive product range.
By the year 2000, with the exception of a few specific varieties that had achieved breakthroughs in preparation technology, the water treatment agents already in production and industrial application continued to hold the dominant position in the market. The average annual growth rate across all categories of these chemical agents was projected to hover around 5% to 6%.
Formulated Chemicals
Formulated Chemicals: This category encompasses substances such as corrosion inhibitors, scale inhibitors, biocides, and combustion aids.
