Sodium Hexametaphosphate (SHMP) is an inorganic compound of sodium salt and hexaphosphoric acid. It is sometimes called Sodium Polymetaphosphate, which stands for a more correct chemical term, but is rarely used among manufacturers, suppliers, and distributors. In general, all applications of SHMP fall into two grades: food grade and industrial/tech grade.
Sodium Hexametaphosphate is used in a variety of food products and is labeled as E452i, although it is generally recognized as safe when applied in foods. Due to its characteristics of sequestrant, thickener, emulsifier, and texturizer, SHMP can be found in many daily products that we consume.
One of the most common applications of SHMP Tech gradeis water treatment, where it acts as a sequestrant, water softening, deflocculating, dispersing and antiscale agent. Basically, it is aimed to prevent the steel and mineral corrosion. A particular case of SHMP use is the case of when it is added into a boiler compound to settle calcium hardness down in factory boiler waters with high calcium level.
Industrial applications of SHMP are numerous and some of them appear to be helpful in diverse domains with one and the same property. Due to its anti-staining and tartar prevention capabilities, SHMP is successfully used as an active ingredient in toothpaste and other tooth whitening products, and it is also added to dog foods for the same reason.
SHMP is used to stabilize the emulsion and to improve the corrosion inhibition in the paint and coating industry. During the production, it acts as a dispersing agent affecting the pigment particles and increasing the protection properties of a product. This formulation allows the formation of a thin film which is useful in paper making industry and in metallurgy as well.
In addition, SHMP can usually be found indetergent formulations and such products like dishwashers, bath salts, and soaps.
