Inhibitors for Citric Acid descaling solution
Inhibitors for Citric Acid descaling solution
(OP)
What sort of inhibitor is used in citric acid descaling solutions? I've seen commercial inhibitor brand names mentioned but want to understand what class of chemicals these are and how they work to inhibit parent metal corrosion.





RE: Inhibitors for Citric Acid descaling solution
You aren't going to remove much scale with citric unless you are concentrated and hot.
Citric makes a good SS pasivation treatment.
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Plymouth Tube
RE: Inhibitors for Citric Acid descaling solution
It's hot, but not that concentrated- but effective, and shockingly expensive I might add, though not quite giving ink jet printer ink a run for its money...Used every few months in my espresso machine!
The boiler on my espresso machine is apparently stainless steel (grade unknown).
The vendor doesn't give out MSDSs for their de-scaling solutions, and the "caution" list includes citric and lactic acids and "corrosion inhibitor". I'm curious what strategy you would use to inhibit parent metal corrosion against an organic acid like this. Obviously you flush the system really well after use, but I'm still curious what's in there and how it works.
RE: Inhibitors for Citric Acid descaling solution
RE: Inhibitors for Citric Acid descaling solution
Yep, it'd be a calcium/magnesium carbonate/sulphate and iron scale on the ID of the boiler. They give no explosion drawing and I've never had the machine apart to know what it looks like. The alkalinity here is relatively low, but insufficiently frequent de-scaling is the death of these machines for sure.
RE: Inhibitors for Citric Acid descaling solution
RE: Inhibitors for Citric Acid descaling solution
A well deserved star, again- you're a great resource!