EDTA Tetrasodium salt 40% Liquor
Technical grade
EDTA Tetrasodium 40% liquor is a liquid form of tetrasodium ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) at a 40% concentration. EDTA is a chelating agent, meaning it binds to metal ions, preventing them from interfering with chemical processes. It is widely used in personal care products, industrial formulations, and water treatment due to its ability to sequester (bind) metal ions like calcium, magnesium, and iron, which can destabilize or reduce the effectiveness of formulations.
Key Properties:
- Chemical Formula: C₁₀H₁₂N₂Na₄O₈
- Physical Form: Clear, colourless to pale yellow liquid (40% concentration in water).
- Chelating Agent: EDTA tetrasodium binds with metal ions, forming stable complexes that prevent the metal ions from participating in undesirable reactions.
Common Uses of EDTA Tetrasodium 40% Liquor:
1. Personal Care and Cosmetics:
- Stabilizer: EDTA tetrasodium is used in shampoos, conditioners, body washes, lotions, and creams to improve the stability of the formulation. It prevents metal ions from reacting with other ingredients, which can cause product degradation or discoloration.
- Enhances Preservatives: By chelating metal ions, EDTA improves the efficacy of preservatives, helping to extend the shelf life of products by reducing the potential for microbial growth.
- Water Softening: EDTA sequesters calcium and magnesium ions in hard water, improving the performance of surfactants and foaming agents in personal care products. This leads to better cleansing and lather formation.
2. Industrial Cleaning Products:
- Detergents and Cleaners: EDTA tetrasodium is used in industrial and household cleaning products, such as surface cleaners, dishwashing liquids, and laundry detergents, to soften water and improve the effectiveness of cleaning agents. It prevents hard water ions from interfering with cleaning efficiency.
- Scale and Lime Deposit Removal: In industrial cleaning, EDTA helps prevent and remove scale and lime deposits that can form due to hard water in pipes, boilers, and heat exchangers.
3. Water Treatment:
- Chelating Agent in Water Treatment: EDTA tetrasodium is used in water treatment processes to sequester heavy metals like iron, lead, and copper. This helps to purify water and prevent the accumulation of these metal ions in water systems, which can cause corrosion, scaling, and fouling.
- Boiler and Cooling Systems: In boilers and cooling systems, EDTA is added to control metal ion levels, preventing scaling and maintaining system efficiency
4. Textile and Paper Industry:
- Bleaching Agent Stabilizer: In the textile and paper industries, EDTA tetrasodium is used to stabilize bleaching agents like hydrogen peroxide by chelating metal ions that would otherwise cause decomposition of the bleaching agents. This helps maintain consistent quality in paper and fabric processing.
Benefits of EDTA Tetrasodium 40% Liquor:
- Improves Product Stability: By chelating metal ions, EDTA prevents unwanted chemical reactions in formulations, improving the stability, effectiveness, and shelf life of products.
- Enhances Performance in Hard Water: It enhances the performance of surfactants and cleaning agents by softening hard water, improving cleaning, foaming, and rinsing properties.
- Prevents Metal-Catalyzed Reactions: EDTA prevents oxidation, discolouration, and degradation in formulations where metal ions could act as catalysts for undesirable reactions.
Health & Safety
H318 Causes serious eye damage.
H332 Harmful if inhaled.
H302 Harmful if swallowed.
H373 May cause damage to organs (Respiratory system) through prolonged
or repeated exposure (inhalation).
P271 Use only outdoors or in a well-ventilated area.
P280 Wear eye/face protection.
P270 Do not eat, drink or smoke when using this product.
P264 Wash with plenty of water and soap thoroughly after handling.
PLEASE NOTE: This product is not for human or animal consumption.
Chemistry of EDTA Na4
Properties of EDTA Tetrasodium solid:
- Synonyms: (ethylenedinitrilo)tetraacetic acid tetrasodium salt dihydrate; tetrasodium ethylene diamine tetraacetate; tetrasodium 2,2',2'',2'''-(ethane-1,2-diyldinitrilo)tetraacetate; ethylenediaminetetraacetate de tetrasodium
- CAS No. 64-02-8
- EINECS No: 200-573-9
- Appearance: white crystalline solid
- Formula: C10H16N2O8.4Na
- Relative Density: 0.7 g/cm3
- Molar Mass: 380.170 g mol/1
- Melting point: 240 oC
- Solubility: soluble in water 100-110g/100ml @20C
- pH: 11 - 12 (10% solution)
EDTA Na4 melts at 240°C and above this it starts to lose water of crystallisation and at 300°C it decomposes. It is stable in both strong acids and bases. It is broken down by strong oxidising agents like chromic acid and potassium permanganate.
Tetrasodium EDTA stabilises polyvalent metal ions allowing an increase in the rate at which metals dissolve. When used in mildly alkaline cleaning solutions, metals are less likely to suffer from corrosion as compared to cleaning the metals with acids (with exception to aluminium).
It can be used to stabilise phosphonates in alkaline and neutral de-rusting and descaling baths. It also prevents lime soaps from precipitating which prolongs the working life of baths.