What are inhibitors & how do they work?
A corrosion inhibitor is any substance that, when added to a water system, reduces the rate at which corrosion is taking place. Corrosion inhibitors act by interfering with one or other of the balanced corrosion reactions above. The best inhibitors act on both the metal degradation reaction and the balancing oxygen reduction, or hydrogen evolution, reactions Water treatment manufacturer’s combine many different inhibitors to produce a robust product that will inhibit a number of different metals in a wide range of field conditions. Regrettably, there is not yet a British, European or International standard for the performance of corrosion inhibitors for central heating systems. The most common forms of inhibitor are Anodic (passivating) inhibitors. The majority of domestic central heating inhibitors are essentially anodic passivators. This type of inhibitor reacts with the metal (anode) being corroded to form a very thin film that prevents any further metal being lost. The film is only
