Patent ID: 8258339

Claim:
A method for inhibition of salt deposition comprising: adding, to a brine solution, an effective amount of hydrolzyed composition prepared by a process comprising (1) adding an amount of nitrilotriacetonitrile (NTAN) to a solution including an acid catalyst in a single or bulk addition with stirring to form a reaction mixture, (2) hydrolyzing the NTAN in the reaction mixture with stirring for a period of time no more than about 1 hour with no external heating to form a hydrolyzed reaction mixture, (3) after hydrolyzing, adjusting the pH of the hydrolyzed reaction mixture to a pH of at least 8 to form a crude hydrolyzed NTAN composition, and (4) contacting the crude hydrolyzed NTAN composition with an effective amount of an oxidizing agent for a time and at a temperature sufficient to minimize a concentration of free cyanide in the crude hydrolyzed NTAN composition to a desired low level, to form a hydrolyzed NTAN composition having the desired low level of free cyanide, where the effective amount is sufficient to inhibit salt deposition.