Chelating base product for use in water-based system treatments
A base product fluid is produced by adding anhydrous liquid ammonia and a first portion of sulfuric acid to water in a process line to form a mixed fluid. The mixed fluid may be cooled and a second portion of sulfuric acid may be added to the mixed fluid to form the base product fluid. The base product fluid may include a molecular compound that is a chelating compound. The molecular compound may have the formula: ((NH 4 ) 2 SO 4 ) a .(H 2 SO 4 ) b .(H 2 O) c .(NH 4 HSO 4 ) x . In the formula, a may be between 1 and 5, b may be between 1 and 5, c may be between 0 and 5, and x may be between 1 and 20.
1. A chelating compound formed by a method comprising:
adding anhydrous liquid ammonia and a first portion of an acid to water and mixing to form a mixed fluid;
cooling the mixed fluid to form an intermediate fluid; and
adding a second portion of the acid to the intermediate fluid to form a product fluid comprising the chelating compound,
wherein the second portion of the acid is greater, by weight, than the first portion of the acid, and
wherein the acid comprises a phosphoric acid, a derivative of a phosphoric acid, a hydrogen halide or a nitric acid.
2. The chelating compound of claim 1 , wherein the chelating compound comprises a molecular cluster of molecules comprising one or more ammonium salts, the acid, and water.
3. The chelating compound of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises maintaining the ammonia as a liquid by cooling the ammonia to a temperature below a boiling point of ammonia at a pressure above atmospheric pressure.
4. The chelating compound of claim 1 , wherein the ammonia and acid are mixed in a process line, and wherein the method further comprises maintaining a pressure in the process line between about 40 psig and about 80 psig.
5. The chelating compound of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises combining the product fluid with a metal salt to form an end product.