The precipitation of calcium carbonate scale on heat transfer surfaces widely occurs in numerous industrial processes. For the control of calcium carbonate scale and in response to environmental guidelines, the new low phosphonic copolymer was prepared through reaction of maleic anhydride with sodium p-styrene sulfonate in water with redox system of hypophosphorous and hydrogen peroxide as initiator. The anti-scale property of the low phosphonic copolymer towards CaCO3 in the artificial cooling water was studied through static scale inhibition tests, and the effect on formation of CaCO3 was investigated with combination of scanning electronic microscopy (SEM), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) analysis and Fourier transform infrared spectrometer, respectively. The results showed that the low phosphonic copolymer was excellent calcium carbonate scale inhibitor in artificial cooling water. The crystallization Of CaCO3 in the absence of inhibitor was rhombohedral calcite crystal. whereas a mixture of calcite with vaterite crystals was found in the presence of the low phosphonic copolymer. For actions of carboxyl and phosphonic acid groups, the calcite was inhibited and the metastable vaterite was stabilized in the presence of the low phosphonic copolymer during the CaCO3 formation process. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.