Abstract: A method for inhibiting silica scale formation which treats aqueous systems containing silica with a bottle brush polymer. The bottle brush polymer includes a repeat unit obtained after polymerization of one or more anionic monomers, and a repeat unit obtained after polymerization of one or more polyoxoalkylene-containing monomers. The bottle brush polymer may further include a repeat unit obtained after polymerization of one or more nonionic monomers. The addition of the bottle brush polymer to the aqueous system results in the inhibition of silica scale.

Abstract: A method for controlling colloidal/amorphous silica scale deposition in an aqueous system is described, which comprises adding to the aqueous system an effective amount of a synergistic combination comprising: A) 10% to 90% by weight of at least one carboxylate polymer comprising units derived from one or more carboxylate monomers; and B) 90% to 10% by weight of at least one chelating agent, based on the total weight of said synergistic combination. The carboxylate polymer may be a homopolymer of (meth)acrylic acid, maleic acid, itaconic acid, or their salts, or a copolymer of one or more monomers selected from meth)acrylic acid, maleic acid, itaconic acid, and their salts and, optionally, one or more sulfonic-free ethylenically unsaturated monomers.