Silica scale inhibition by polyaminoamide STARBURST® dendrimers

This paper reports the inhibition efficiency of a family of polyaminoamide (PAMAM) STARBURST® dendrimers in colloidal SiO2 growth. PAMAMs of various generations (0.5, 1.5, 2.5 with –COOH termini, and 1, and 2 with –NH2 termini) were tested and compared to control samples. Superiority of the dendrimer inhibitors with –NH2 termini (maintaining ∼380 ppm soluble SiO2 after 12 h) versus those with –COOH termini (maintaining ∼180 ppm soluble SiO2 after 12 h) was discovered in solutions containing 500 ppm initial SiO2. These inhibitors present potential for water treatment applications.