boiler water feedwater systems and in oil injection water or brine at these temperatures the present oxygen scavengers are effective at alkaline ph 39 s i e above 7 and from about 8 to about 11 thus they are effective in boiler feedwater systems and in oil injection water or brines at this ph compositions containing the oxygen scavenger if preformulated may be rendered alkaline by the addition of a suitable ph adjusting agent e g sodium hydroxide as oxygen scavengers the composition and process of the present invention uses the described salts of either keto gluconic acid or keto gulonic acid these salts will hereinafter be referred to as either keto gluconates or keto gulonates one class of the present oxygen scavengers are the alkali metal salts of keto gluconates and stereoisomers thereof both the d and l forms and the dl forms of the keto gluconates may be used stereoisomers of the keto gluconates include the keto gulonates which may also be used in the d l or dl forms preferred alkali metal salts are the sodium and potassium salts the sodium and potassium salts of the keto d gluconates keto l gluconates and the keto dl gluconates may be used in both the composition and process of the present invention similarly the sodium and potassium salts of the keto d gulonates keto l gulonates and keto dl gulonates may be used preferred amine salts are the ammonium salts the triethanolamine salts the diethylaminoethyl cyclohexylamine and the morpholine salts of the keto gluconates and keto gulonates preferred esters of the keto gluconates and stereoisomers thereof are the c 1 c 4 alkyl esters preferred is the methyl ester if desired a metal salt may also be added to the composition or.