The ZI-CHEM® product range includes oxygen scavengers for a wide range of operating conditions and application requirements found in industrial steam generating applications.
Some of the key criterion that is considered when selecting the most suitable oxygen scavenger for a given application includes:
Oxygen scavengers such as hydrazine have been used extensively in the past, and in some places are still in use. However there is now increased awareness that hydrazine is highly toxic to humans and is also a suspected carcinogen.
Within the ZI-CHEM® product range there are many safer alternatives to hydrazine that exhibit equal or higher performance but have little or low toxicity and are non carcinogenic.
A summary of the features of the most common components contained in these products of these is shown below:
| Chemical | Oxygen Scavenging | Passivation | Volatility | Breakdown Pressure | Residual Testing | Safety |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sodium (Bi~) Sulfite (Na; SO3, NaHSO3) | Excellent | Little to None | Non-Volatile | 900-1250 psig SO2, H2S | Very Good (BoilerWater) | FDA Acceptable |
| Erythorbate (C6H7O6Na) |
Very Good | Excellent | Non-Volatile | 1200-1600 psig CO2, Organic Acids | Good (Feedwater) | GRAS |
| Methylethyl ketoxime C4H8NOH |
Good | Excellent | Excellent | 1250 psig NH3, N2O, N2, MEK | Good (Feedwater) | Moderately Toxic |
| Diethylhy droxylamine (C2H5)2NOH |
Good | Very Good | Very Good | 300 psig NH3, NO2, NO3, Amines, Acetate | Good (Feedwater) | Moderately Toxic |
| Hydroquinone C6H6O2 |
Very Good | Good | Non-Volatile (Steam Distills) | 1300 psig CO2, Organic Acids | Good (Feedwater) | Mutagenic |
| Carbohydrazide (N2H3)2CO | Good | Fair | Poor | 235 psig NH3,N1, CO2 | Poor (Feedwater) | Unstudied |
| Hydrazine N2H4 |
Good | Good | Poor | 235 psig N2, NH3 | Very Good (FeedWater) | Suspect Carcinogen |
