Corrosion inhibitors for drinking water use must address multiple objectives: control of lead, copper, and undersiable aesthetic or disinfection problems. Only inhibitors based on families of orthophosphate, polyphosphate and silicate chemicals are permitted because of toxicity concerns, and they must meet certain standards for inchrect additives to drinking water. Successfid application of corroison inhibitors for achieving regulatory objectives requires careful
considemtion of the background water chemistry, particularly pH and DIC. Inhibitor performance is extremely dependent upon dosage and pH, and frequently pH must be adjusted with inhibitor addition. Many issues remain to be resolved abuot the mechanisms of corrosion inhibition afforded. To facilitate better prediction of performmace more fundamental research is needed under realistic drinking water dosage, background water quality, and scale aging conditions.
Keywords: corrosion control, corrosion, corrosion inhibitors, inhibitor, lead, copper, drinking water, water treatment, orthophosphte, polyphosphate, silicate, blended phosphate.