Sodium hexametaphosphate

Synonyms

Sodium polymetaphosphate; Calgon; Calgon (old); Calgon S; Chemi-charl; Graham's salt; HMP; Hexametaphosphate, sodium salt; Hexasodium hexametaphosphate; Hexasodium metaphosphate; Medi-Calgon; Metaphosphoric acid (H6P6O18), hexasodium salt; Metaphosphoric acid, hexasodium salt; Natrium hexametaphosphat [German]; Phosphate, sodium hexameta; Polyphos; SHMP; Sodium phosphate (Na6P6O18); Sodium phosphate, tribasic; Sodium polymeta phosphate; [ChemIDplus]

Category

Phosphates, Metallic Salts

Description

Polymeric sodium metaphosphates: Clear hygroscopic solid; Soluble in water; [HSDB] White odorless granules; [MSDSonline]

Sources/Uses

Used in building and water treatment (60%), food processing (15%), and miscellaneous (25%); Used in photographic developing, in dairy substitutes in pudding, as a retarder in dental alginate impression materials, and as a thinner for petroleum drilling fluids; [HSDB] At low concentrations, it inhibits steel corrosion and the formation of scale-forming compounds (calcium carbonate and calcium sulfate); [Hawley]

Comments

Emergency treatment: Irritants; Caused severe kidney damage in rats fed 3% and 5%, while 1.8% caused no damage; [HSDB] An irritant; [MSDSonline]

Biomedical References

Processes

Industrial Processes with risk of exposure:

• Petroleum Production and Refining
• Photographic Processing