When the industrial circulating cooling system is in natural operation, scaling or corrosion tends to occur due to the combined effects of the hardness, alkalinity, pH value, concentration multiple, air temperature, and ambient temperature of the circulating water. The operating efficiency will have an adverse effect. In order to suppress or cause corrosion, it is necessary to add a corrosion inhibitor or scale inhibitor to the water.

Commonly used corrosion inhibitors and scale inhibitors include polyphosphates, zinc salts and polycarboxylates.