Abstract: A method is disclosed to inhibit scale formation in aqueous systems whereby a threshold amount of a scale inhibiting agent, represented by an aminoacid alkylphosphonic acid, is added to the aqueous system. The aminoacid moiety can be represented by ?-species or by species having, at least, two or more carbon atoms between the carboxylic moiety and the amine group. These aminoacid based inhibitors exhibit unusually superior performance and system acceptability compared to leading state-of-the-art inhibitors.

Abstract: A beneficial method for the manufacture of amino polyalkylene phosphonic acids, under substantial absence of hydrohalogenic acid, is disclosed. The method, in essence, is based on reacting narrowly defined ratios of phosphorous acid, an amine and a formaldehyde in presence of a heterogeneous Broensted acid catalyst. The inventive method is capable of yielding economically and quality operational/capacity advantages, in particular significantly reduced one-step cycle duration under exclusion of corrosion disadvantages and also is environmentally friendly without requiring, in that respect, anything more than nominal capital expenditures.