Application of environmentally friendly surface treatment technologies to inhibit scale and corrosion in domestic appliances - CANCELLED (RIP2026-00045)

Muhammad Zaheer, Richard Barker, Joshua Owen, Robert Kay

University of Leeds, University of Leeds, University of Leeds

Mineral scale formation and corrosion present a major operational challenge in various industries such as oil and gas, processing systems, and domestic, where deposition within pipelines, heat exchangers, and water handling infrastructure can severely impair flow efficiency, increase energy demand, and necessitate costly maintenance interventions. Even a thin mineral layer can markedly reduce heat transfer performance and accelerate mechanical degradation, underscoring the critical need for effective scale mitigation technologies capable of sustained performance under harsh service conditions. It has been shown in multiple studies that a scale layer thickness of 1 mm can increase the electricity consumption of electric heaters as much as 15%. The heat exchangers are commonly oversized to accommodate operational issues, of which 30-50% are caused by fouling.
This study investigates the evaluation of nickel based composite coatings, incorporating nanoparticle and polymer co-deposits, to address fouling issues while aligning with global regulatory pressures for sustainable materials. These coatings, already used in high intensity tribological applications, show potential for fouling suppression through surface energy modification and reduced scale adhesion. Furthermore, the composite coatings being FDA approved render them promising candidates for deployment in domestic applications where both corrosion and scale management are of primary concern. For this purpose, four coatings have been analysed.
To systematically assess coating performance, a Flow Evaporation Scaling Cell (FESC) was developed to replicate representative scaling and corrosion environments, encompassing controlled variations in temperature up to 95 ℃ under pool boiling conditions, and different brine chemistries at various flow rates. Another advantage of FESC is that it provides a unidirectional flow, hence avoiding the reduction in brine saturation ratio due to solution recirculation. The FESC enables real-time quantification of fouling resistance using surface and bulk temperature changes as the scale layer develops and post-test surface characterization, including SEM, XRD, Nanoindentation, contact angle (surface energy) and ICP-MS, providing a robust and reproducible methodology for evaluating coating performance under dynamic, thermally stressed conditions.
Experimental results demonstrate that composite coatings exhibit improved resistance to mineral scaling and promote certain scale morphologies compared to baseline surfaces. These findings validate the FESC as a reliable and versatile platform for materials testing and confirm the potential of nickel composite coatings as an effective, scalable solution for mitigating mineral fouling and corrosion in domestic systems. The outcomes contribute to the broader effort to enhance the durability, efficiency, and sustainability of surface technologies