The chain length of sodium hexametaphosphate
What is the chain length of sodium hexametaphosphate
Sodium hexametaphosphate is widely used in the oilfield, papermaking, textile, printing and dyeing, petroleum, chemical, leather, metallurgy, building materials and other industries as a softening agent, buffering agent, flotation agent, dispersant, and high-temperature binder. In the food industry, it is used as an additive, nutrient, quality improver, pH adjuster, metal ion chelating agent, adhesive, and expanding agent.
With the increasing specialization in various industries, the application requirements for sodium hexametaphosphate are becoming more refined.
The chain length of sodium hexametaphosphate is divided into long chain, medium chain, and short chain. The different chain lengths directly result in differences in the effectiveness of sodium hexametaphosphate in applications. Sodium hexametaphosphate is produced after high-temperature polymerization, so the degree of polymerization determines the chain length. Sodium hexametaphosphate is actually a mixture of straight-chain sodium polyphosphate of various chain lengths, and it exists in the form of an acid at around pH 3.
Taking water treatment as an example, in addition to factors such as pH value, dosage, and water quality, the chain length of sodium hexametaphosphate is an important influencing factor. Selecting sodium hexametaphosphate with an appropriate chain length can also save on dosage and improve the corrosion inhibition effect in water treatment.
The refractory materials industry requires the use of sodium hexametaphosphate with different chain lengths as an alkaline binder. In the sintering of amorphous refractory materials, sodium hexametaphosphate exhibits good thermal shock stability, high compressive strength, strong resistance to slag erosion and impact, and has a high load softening temperature and chemical stability.
When used as a water retention agent, it is found that the water retention performance of short-chain sodium hexametaphosphate is significantly better than that of long-chain and medium-chain. When used as a chelating agent, the chelating ability of long-chain sodium hexametaphosphate is significantly better than that of medium-chain and short-chain.
When used as a metal surface treatment agent, the phosphating effect of long-chain sodium hexametaphosphate is significantly better than that of medium and short-chain.
Chain length refers to the length of the main chain of the polymer molecule, representing the average end-to-end distance of the polymer chain, which is proportional to the degree of polymerization or molecular weight. Due to the lack of specific standards for chain length control, each manufacturer's control of sodium hexametaphosphate chain length varies. Customers often express their requirements for sodium hexametaphosphate products in other standards, such as higher polymerization degree indicating longer chains. Therefore, many times, customers may require a specific polymerization degree to represent their chain length requirements.
Many customers also have visual requirements for the form, such as granules, powder, or flakes. This is also an objective manifestation of the chain length requirements, as long chains are generally crystalline particles, while short chains are in powder form.The actual application of chain length in sodium hexametaphosphate and the resulting differences in product reactions require further exploration. We welcome customers with research in this area to contact us for further discussion.
