Procedure for sealing leaks in closed cooling systems
AssigneeBBC Brown, Boveri & Company, Limited
InventorsMaurice Bodmer, Edmund Hartinger, Albert Huber
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Abstract
Leaks in closed cooling systems containing an aqueous medium as the coolant, are sealed by electroless deposition of a metal or metal containing compound from a water soluble, easily reducible metal compound. A complexing agent may be added to the coolant to assist in solubilizing the easily reducible metal compound. In one embodiment, the reducible metal compound is formed in situ by attacking the conduit walls of the cooling system so as to form solubilized compounds, or compounds which can be solubilized by addition of suitable complexing agents.
Claims13
A method for sealing leaks in a closed cooling system which contains an aqueous medium as the coolant, which comprises:
- introducing into the coolant a water-soluble, reducible metal hydroxide, inorganic salt, organic salt, or a complex thereof, of a metal selected from the group consisting of Cu, Bi, Cr, Fe, Mn, Mg, Zn, Al, Sb, Ca, Ba, Sr, Hg, Ag, Au, Sn, Ni, Cd, Pb, Co, Pt, Rh, Ir, and Pd, or a water-soluble, reducible metal oxide of a metal selected from the group consisting of:
- Bi, Cr, Fe, Mn, Mg, Zn, Al, Sb, Ca, Ba, Sr, and Hg, wherein the concentration of said soluble metal cation ranges from 10.sup..sup.-8 to 1 molar;
- and
- introducing a reducing agent into said coolant in a concentration between 10.sup..sup.-6 and 1 molar, so as to cause electroless deposition of the metal or a corresponding metal compound wherein the metal is present in a lower valence state, whereby leaks in the closed cooling system are sealed.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.