Tagged scale inhibiting polymer compositions and methods of inhibiting scale formation

1. A scale-inhibiting polymer comprising one or more scale-inhibiting units and one or more tagging units, wherein each tagging unit is formed from a compound of Formula I or II:

wherein each R′ is independently R, OR, NRC(S)NR 2 , or NRC(O)NR 2 ;

each R is independently H, C 1 -C 6 alkyl, C 2 -C 6 alkenyl, C 6 -C 14 aryl, or C 7 -C 20 aralkyl;

and

wherein each alkyl or aryl group may be optionally independently substituted with one or more halo, C 1 -C 6 alkyl, or C 1 -C 6 haloalkyl substituents; or a salt, hydrate, salt hydrate, stereoisomer, dehydrate or derivative thereof;

wherein the tagging unit is formed from a compound selected from the group consisting of: a hydrochloride, dihydrochloride, sulfate, bisulfate, or gluconate salt of a compound of Formula I or II, and a hydrate thereof; or

wherein the one or more scale-inhibiting units comprises maleic acid or maleic anhydride and sodium allyl sulfonate.

2. The polymer of claim 1 , comprising two or more scale-inhibiting units and one or more tagging units.

3. The polymer of claim 1 , wherein R′ is H.

4. The polymer of claim 1 , wherein R′ is O(C 1 -C 6 alkyl).

5. The polymer of claim 1 , wherein R′ is OCH 3 .

6. The polymer of claim 1 , wherein the tagging unit is formed from a compound selected from the group consisting of: a hydrochloride, dihydrochloride, sulfate, bisulfate, or gluconate salt of a compound of Formula I or II, and a hydrate thereof.

7. The polymer of claim 1 , wherein the one or more scale-inhibiting units comprises maleic acid or maleic anhydride and sodium allyl sulfonate.

8. The polymer of claim 1 , wherein the tagging unit is a quinicine monomer:

9. The polymer of claim 1 , wherein the tagging unit is a chinconicine monomer:

10. The polymer of claim 1 , wherein the tagging unit is a quininone monomer:

11. The polymer of claim 1 , wherein the tagging unit is a cinchoninone monomer:

12. The polymer of claim 1 , wherein the one or more tagging units is at a weight percent of total monomers of about 0.01% to about 20%.

13. A process for determining a concentration of a scale-inhibiting polymer for inhibiting scale formation, the process comprising:

(a) introducing an effective scale-inhibiting amount of the scale-inhibiting polymer to an aqueous medium to inhibit calcium carbonate, calcium sulfate, barium sulfate, and/or calcium phosphate scale formation;

(b) measuring a fluorescence signal of the scale-inhibiting polymer in the aqueous medium; and

(c) determining a concentration of the scale-inhibiting polymer based on the fluorescence signal;

wherein the scale-inhibiting polymer comprising one or more scale-inhibiting units and one or more tagging units, wherein each tagging unit is formed from a compound of Formula I or II:

wherein each R′ is independently R, OR, NRC(S)NR 2 , or NRC(O)NR 2 ;

each R is independently H, C 1 -C 6 alkyl, C 2 -C 6 alkenyl, C 6 -C 14 aryl, or C 7 -C 20 aralkyl;

and

wherein each alkyl or aryl group may be optionally independently substituted with one or more halo, C 1 -C 6 alkyl, or C 1 -C 6 haloalkyl substituents; or a salt, hydrate, salt hydrate, stereoisomer, dehydrate or derivative thereof.

14. A scale-inhibiting composition comprising the scale-inhibiting polymer of claim 1 and a solvent.

15. The composition of claim 14 , further comprising at least one additional tagged polymer having an fluorescence emission signal different from that of the scale-inhibiting polymer.

16. A method for preventing or controlling scale formation in systems comprising fluid circulation, which comprising the steps of:

(a) adding to the system or fluid an effective scale-inhibiting amount of a scale-inhibiting polymer;

(b) periodically, continually, or continuously measuring the amount of tagging units in the system or fluid; and

(c) periodically, continually, or continuously further adding more scale-inhibiting polymer to the system or fluid when the measured amount of tagging units determined by step (b) is below a predetermined value;

wherein the scale-inhibiting polymer comprising one or more scale-inhibiting units and one or more tagging units, wherein each tagging unit is formed from a compound of Formula I or II:

wherein each R′ is independently R, OR, NRC(S)NR 2 , or NRC(O)NR 2 ;

each R is independently H, C 1 -C 6 alkyl, C 2 -C 6 alkenyl, C 6 -C 14 aryl, or C 7 -C 20 aralkyl;

and

wherein each alkyl or aryl group may be optionally independently substituted with one or more halo, C 1 -C 6 alkyl, or C 1 -C 6 haloalkyl substituents; or a salt, hydrate, salt hydrate, stereoisomer, dehydrate or derivative thereof.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the amount of scale-inhibiting polymer in the system or fluid is less than 35 parts per million.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein the amount of scale-inhibiting polymer in the system or fluid is less than 0.5 to 35 parts per million.

19. The scale-inhibiting polymer of claim 1 ,

wherein the polymer has a thermal stability such that when the polymer is kept at a temperature of about 130° C. in water for about one week, there is less than about 10% decrease in emission intensity.

20. The process of claim 13 , wherein scale-inhibiting polymer comprises two or more scale-inhibiting units and one or more tagging units.

21. The process of claim 13 , wherein R′ is H.

22. The process of claim 13 , wherein R′ is O(C 1 -C 6 alkyl).

23. The process of claim 13 , wherein R′ is OCH 3 .

24. The process of claim 13 , wherein the tagging unit is formed from a compound selected from the group consisting of: a hydrochloride, dihydrochloride, sulfate, bisulfate, or gluconate salt of a compound of Formula I or II, and a hydrate thereof.

25. The process of claim 13 , wherein the one or more scale-inhibiting units comprises maleic acid or maleic anhydride and sodium allyl sulfonate.

26. The process of claim 13 , wherein the tagging unit is a quinicine monomer:

27. The process of claim 13 , wherein the tagging unit is a chinconicine monomer:

28. The process of claim 13 , wherein the tagging unit is a quininone monomer:

29. The process of claim 13 , wherein the tagging unit is a cinchoninone monomer:

30. The process of claim 13 , wherein the one or more tagging units is at a weight percent of total monomers of about 0.01% to about 20%.

31. The scale-inhibiting composition of claim 14 , wherein scale-inhibiting polymer comprises two or more scale-inhibiting units and one or more tagging units.

32. The scale-inhibiting composition of claim 14 , wherein R′ is H.

33. The scale-inhibiting composition of claim 14 , wherein R′ is O(C 1 -C 6 alkyl).

34. The scale-inhibiting composition of claim 14 , wherein R′ is OCH 3 .

35. The scale-inhibiting composition of claim 14 , wherein the tagging unit is formed from a compound selected from the group consisting of: a hydrochloride, dihydrochloride, sulfate, bisulfate, or gluconate salt of a compound of Formula I or II, and a hydrate thereof.

36. The scale-inhibiting composition of claim 14 , wherein the one or more scale-inhibiting units comprises maleic acid or maleic anhydride and sodium allyl sulfonate.

37. The scale-inhibiting composition of claim 14 , wherein the tagging unit is a quinicine monomer:

38. The scale-inhibiting composition of claim 14 , wherein the tagging unit is a chinconicine monomer:

39. The scale-inhibiting composition of claim 14 , wherein the tagging unit is a quininone monomer:

40. The scale-inhibiting composition of claim 14 , wherein the tagging unit is a cinchoninone monomer:

41. The scale-inhibiting composition of claim 14 , wherein the one or more tagging units is at a weight percent of total monomers of about 0.01% to about 20%.

42. The method of claim 16 , wherein scale-inhibiting polymer comprises two or more scale-inhibiting units and one or more tagging units.

43. The method of claim 16 , wherein R′ is H.

44. The method of claim 16 , wherein R′ is O(C 1 -C 6 alkyl).

45. The method of claim 16 , wherein R′ is OCH 3 .

46. The method of claim 16 , wherein the tagging unit is formed from a compound selected from the group consisting of: a hydrochloride, dihydrochloride, sulfate, bisulfate, or gluconate salt of a compound of Formula I or II, and a hydrate thereof.

47. The method of claim 16 , wherein the one or more scale-inhibiting units comprises maleic acid or maleic anhydride and sodium allyl sulfonate.

48. The method of claim 16 , wherein the tagging unit is a quinicine monomer:

49. The method of claim 16 , wherein the tagging unit is a chinconicine monomer:

50. The method of claim 16 , wherein the tagging unit is a quininone monomer:

51. The method of claim 16 , wherein the tagging unit is a cinchoninone monomer:

52. The method of claim 16 , wherein the one or more tagging units is at a weight percent of total monomers of about 0.01% to about 20%.