Nouryon, a global specialty chemicals leader, has been granted a U.S. Patent for its LumaTreat® tagged polymer products. US Patent No. 11,208,408 – “Method of Controlling Scale in Aqueous Systems” – covers LumaTreat tagged polymer products and the fluorescent monomers used in their creation. In alignment with Nouryon’s commitment to providing innovative and essential solutions for a sustainable future, LumaTreat® tagged polymers enable customers to measure available deposit-control agents in water treatment systems and reduce polymer and water usage during treatment, enhancing the environmental footprint of operations.

“LumaTreat tagged polymers are a revolutionary chemistry solution for the global water management industry,” said Joppe Smit, Vice President of Nouryon’s Natural Resources business line. “We are proud to offer this patented, innovative technology to customers to help them solve scale and deposit issues in a multitude of industrial water treatment applications.”

Many essential processes at production and manufacturing sites rely on the continuous operation of water treatment systems, cooling towers, and boilers. The accumulation of scale deposits degrades the overall efficiency and lifespan of these systems, potentially causing failures or shutdowns detrimental to operations in industrial facilities such as pharmaceutical production facilities, refineries, and hospitals.

LumaTreat tagged polymers incorporate fluorescent monomers that “smart tag” the deposit-control polymers used in water treatment and prevent the build-up of calcium phosphate, calcium carbonate, and other minerals that produce scale deposits. These fluorescent tagged polymers enhance system troubleshooting for water treatment professionals through remote and accurate monitoring of polymer consumption, decreasing the risk of estimation errors. They can also be used in conjunction with or as an alternative to pyrenetetrasulfonic acid (PTSA) in water treatment formulations to indicate real-time consumption rates of the active polymer. A tagged polymer that enables more precise measurements can aid in reducing polymer dosage and water usage while remote monitoring can eliminate the need to travel to sites.

The patent, which the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office granted to Nouryon on December 28, 2021, claims priority to International Application Number PCT/US2020/034709 that was published as WO 2020/243176. Additional Nouryon patent applications claiming priority to this patent family are currently pending in several jurisdictions. LumaTreat tagged polymers have received regulatory approval in the U.S.