Method for derusting and removing heat scale from ferrous bodies and compositions of matter useful therefor

Claim 1

A COMPOSITION SUITABLE FOR DERUSTING OF IRON WHEN USED IN WATER SOLUTION, SAID COMPOSITION CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF A MIXTURE OF AN ALKANOLAMINE IN WHICH EACH CARBON CHAIN HAS 2 TO 3 CARBON ATOMS, SAID ALKANOLAMINE BEING A MEMBER OF THE GROUP CONSISTING OF TRIALKANOLMONOAMINES AND POLYALKANOLPOLYAMINES, AND POLYALKANOLPOLYAMINES CONTAINING UP TO 6 ALKANOL GROUPS AND UP TO 4 AMINO GROUPS, A WATER SOLUBLE SALT OF A HYDROXY ALIPHATIC ACID CHOSEN FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF LACTIC MALIC ACID, GLYCOLLIC ACID, AND SACCHARIC ACID, AND WATER SOLUBLE ALKALI SUCH THAT WHEN SAID COMPOSITION IS ADDED TO WATER THE RESULTING SOLUTION HAS A PH IN EXCESS OF 13, SAID MIXTURE CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF FROM ABOUT 2% TO 95% BY WEIGHT OF SAID ALKALI, ABOUT 2% TO ABOUT 62% BY WEIGHT OF SAID ALKANOLAMINE AND FROM ABOUT 62% 50% BY WEIGHT OF SAID SALT, THE SAID INGREDIENTS TOTALLING 100% OF SAID MIXTURE.