Amino Tris(methylene phosphonic acid) ATMP Nitrilotri(methylene phosphonic acid) CAS 6419-19-8

Tree Chem manufactures ATMP CAS 6419-19-8 for customers seeking to purchase reliable phosphonate-based chelating agents used in water treatment programs, scale prevention, and metal ion control. Its strong ability to chelate Ca²⁺, Fe³⁺ and other multivalent metal ions makes it a core ingredient in circulating cooling water systems, RO pretreatment, industrial cleaners, and oilfield scale dispersants.

Available in both colorless or slightly yellow transparent liquid and white crystalline solid, ATMP delivers excellent thermal stability and resistance to hydrolysis, ensuring long-lasting scale inhibition even under harsh system conditions. Tree Chem ensures consistent quality and multiple packaging options to meet different industrial application needs. For cooperation or customization, please contact info@cntreechem.com.

Specification

Basic Information

Technical Specification

Applications

Water Treatment Industry – Circulating Cooling-Water Systems

• Amino Trimethylene Phosphonic Acid (ATMP) is first and foremost a high-performance scale inhibitor and corrosion-control component in industrial circulating cooling-water systems, which together account for the largest single share of its consumption. Its structure, with one nitrogen and three methylenephosphonic acid groups, gives strong chelating ability toward Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, Fe²⁺ and other cations, while its lattice-distortion effect interferes with crystal growth of calcium carbonate, calcium sulfate and similar salts. As a result, hardness ions remain in solution as stable complexes or as finely divided, non-adherent crystals that are easily carried away by the circulating stream instead of forming hard, adherent scale on heat-exchange surfaces.
• In cooling-water service, ATMP also provides a low-threshold inhibitory effect: even at sub-stoichiometric dosages, it can effectively delay nucleation and growth of scale, which is particularly valuable in high-concentration cycles. At higher concentrations (roughly above 40 mg/L) it contributes to corrosion protection by participating in the formation of a composite protective film on metal surfaces, especially when used together with zinc salts and dispersant polymers. Industrial-grade products with around 50% active content are normally sufficient for general cooling-water plants, but systems with poor make-up water quality or more stringent corrosion requirements increasingly specify higher-purity grades, with active content up to 95% and tighter limits on by-products such as phosphorous acid and orthophosphoric acid.

Cooling-Water Formulation Practice and Performance

• In practice, ATMP is rarely used alone; instead it is blended with other phosphonates and polymeric dispersants to exploit synergistic effects. Binary blends such as ATMP–HEDP at ratios from 1:1 to 3:1 and total dosages of 10–30 mg/L are widely used to control both carbonate and sulfate scales across a range of water chemistries. Another common approach couples ATMP with polyacrylic acid (PAA) at ratios of about 1:2 to 1:5 and total dosages of 5–20 mg/L, where ATMP handles nucleation inhibition and PAA disperses any crystals that form, preventing agglomeration and deposition.
• More sophisticated programs for steelworks, power plants and petrochemical complexes employ three- or four-component packages where ATMP, HEDP, PAA-type dispersants and zinc ions are carefully balanced. One representative formula uses ATMP at 10 mg/L with 5 mg/L HEDP, 15 mg/L PAA and 2 mg/L Zn²⁺, combining threshold inhibition, dispersion and cathodic-film formation to provide both high scale-control efficiency and strong corrosion inhibition. Field experience shows that such systems can maintain calcium-carbonate inhibition above 95% and reduce carbon-steel corrosion rates to around 0.02 mm/a, significantly better than basic phosphate programs and comfortably within national standards for industrial cooling water.

Boiler Water Treatment Systems

• Boiler water is the second major traditional application area for ATMP, especially in low- and medium-pressure boilers operating below about 2.5 MPa. In these systems, ATMP is primarily used as an internal scale inhibitor to prevent deposition in boiler tubes, drum internals and feedwater lines by sequestering hardness ions and modifying crystal growth under high-temperature conditions. The excellent thermal stability of ATMP means that it maintains strong performance at elevated temperatures without hydrolysis or decomposition, which is crucial for long-term operation of industrial boilers.
• Compared with cooling-water formulations, boiler programs place stricter limits on impurities such as iron and heavy metals in ATMP, because these species can contribute directly to fouling or impact steam purity. Specifications typically require iron contents below about 10 mg/L and very low heavy-metal levels, alongside tight control of free phosphorous acid and orthophosphoric acid. In low-pressure boilers, ATMP can be dosed at around 3–15 mg/L as a scale inhibitor, with actual dosage adjusted to match raw-water hardness and operating cycles. In boiler-feedwater lines, higher dosages of 20–30 mg/L in combination with pH adjustment to roughly 9.0–9.5 are used to control under-deposit and oxygen-related corrosion, lowering corrosion rates significantly compared with untreated or poorly treated systems.

Boiler Formulations and Composite Programs

• Composite inhibitors that couple ATMP with other corrosion inhibitors are widely applied in boiler circuits. Programs based on 15 mg/L ATMP with 10 mg/L sodium molybdate and 2 mg/L zinc salts are typical examples, taking advantage of phosphonate–molybdate–zinc synergy to form robust, adherent protective films and to disrupt scale formation simultaneously. When properly maintained, such formulations can achieve scale-inhibition efficiencies around 98% and corrosion-inhibition efficiencies above 95%, contributing directly to improved heat-transfer efficiency and reduced fuel consumption.
• Case studies from textile plants and chemical factories show that controlling ATMP dosing in the range of roughly 8–12 mg/L for low-pressure steam boilers can maintain thermal efficiency at or above 85% by preventing internal deposition. Over time, this reduces the frequency of manual cleaning or acid-descaling, extends tube life and stabilizes steam output, which is particularly important for continuous processing lines that rely on reliable steam supply.

Reverse Osmosis and Desalination Systems

• ATMP is also a key component in antiscalant formulations for reverse-osmosis (RO) and other membrane-based desalination processes, including seawater and brackish-water desalination as well as industrial pure-water production. In these systems, the sensitivity of membranes to fouling and contamination drives a shift from industrial-grade to high-purity ATMP, typically with active content above 95%, low chloride content and very low levels of iron and heavy metals. These high-purity grades ensure that the antiscalant itself does not become a source of membrane contamination or metal fouling.
• In RO service, ATMP controls scale formation on membrane surfaces by forming strong complexes with sparingly soluble ions such as Ca²⁺, Ba²⁺ and Sr²⁺ and by altering the crystal habit of salts like calcium carbonate and calcium sulfate. It is often formulated together with low-molecular-weight polyacrylates or similar dispersants, at ATMP:PAA ratios around 1:3 and total dosages of roughly 5–8 mg/L. Field data from island desalination plants indicate that this type of program can extend membrane fouling cycles by about 30%, reduce chemical-cleaning frequency from monthly to quarterly and deliver substantial savings in overall operating cost, while maintaining permeate quality.

Oilfield Water Injection and Scale Control

• In oilfield operations, ATMP is widely used as a scale inhibitor and chelating component in water-injection and produced-water handling systems, where high temperatures and high salinity make scale control particularly challenging. Oilfield injection waters often contain elevated concentrations of Ca²⁺, Ba²⁺, Sr²⁺ and other divalent cations and may reach temperatures of 60–90°C or higher, conditions under which sulfate and carbonate scales such as barium sulfate, strontium sulfate and calcium carbonate readily form on tubulars, downhole equipment and surface facilities.
• ATMP’s strong tolerance to high ionic strength and temperature allows it to remain effective under these conditions, maintaining solubility and scale-inhibition performance where weaker chelants fail. In conventional injection systems, dosages in the 5–20 ppm range are common, adjusted according to water hardness and saturation index. For high-salinity reservoirs and systems prone to barium or strontium sulfate deposition, ATMP is often used with organic polymer dispersants to create synergistic formulations that maintain inhibition efficiencies above about 95%. Oilfield-grade products typically require at least 50% active content, while high-temperature, high-pressure reservoirs may demand high-purity ATMP or its potassium salts with improved solubility and thermal stability.

Oilfield Acidizing and Stimulation Fluids

• Beyond injection-water treatment, ATMP is utilized as a key additive in acidizing and fracturing fluids for stimulation of oil and gas wells. In these applications, it serves both as an iron-ion stabilizer and a scale-control component. During acidizing operations with hydrochloric or organic acids, iron is leached from tubulars and formation minerals as Fe³⁺, which can subsequently hydrolyze and form insoluble Fe(OH)₃ precipitates when pH rises, blocking pores and fractures. ATMP forms stable complexes with Fe³⁺ across a broad pH range, keeping iron in solution and preventing this detrimental re-precipitation.
• Patented acid-fracturing systems often incorporate ATMP at a few tenths of a percent by weight alongside thickening polymers, surfactants, corrosion inhibitors and other additives in fluids containing 15–25 parts acid per 100 parts water. This design helps maintain clean fractures and promotes efficient cleanup once the treatment is complete. In advanced stimulation formulations, ATMP-based chelants may be combined with other phosphonates or polymeric additives to achieve both iron control and prevention of secondary scales such as calcium fluoride or complex silicate scales that can arise when acid reacts with formation minerals.

Metal Processing Industry – Cleaning and Pickling

• In metal processing, ATMP finds important use as a component of acid pickling inhibitors and metal cleaning formulations. In concentrated mineral acids such as 15–20% hydrochloric or sulfuric acid, ATMP acts as a corrosion inhibitor for carbon steel by adsorbing on the metal surface and forming a protective layer that slows uniform metal dissolution while still allowing scale and rust to be removed. At the same time, its chelating action stabilizes dissolved iron and other metal ions in solution, reducing the risk of re-deposition on freshly cleaned surfaces.
• For high-value steel products, stainless steel and aluminum alloys, high-purity ATMP is preferred to avoid introducing contaminants that could compromise surface finish or downstream coating performance. Typical acid-pickling inhibitor formulations use ATMP at 0.5–1.0% by weight in the acid bath, sometimes together with organic corrosion inhibitors and surfactants. This can reduce metal loss by up to around 80% relative to uninhibited acid while delivering smoother, more uniform surfaces. In mildly acidic or neutral metal-cleaning formulations, ATMP at a few percent is combined with nonionic or anionic surfactants and water-miscible solvents to remove oil, rust and scale from surfaces prior to painting, plating or further processing.

Metal Processing Industry – Electroplating Pretreatment and Complexing

• ATMP is also used as a complexing agent in cyanide-free electroplating systems, where it coordinates copper, zinc, manganese and other metal ions in alkaline baths. By forming stable complexes, ATMP maintains metal ions in solution at appropriate concentrations and supports uniform metal deposition at the cathode without the environmental and safety issues associated with cyanide.
• Electroplating-grade ATMP must meet very stringent purity requirements, often 99% or higher active content with heavy-metal impurities in the low-ppm range, to ensure high-brightness, defect-free deposits. A representative cyanide-free plating formulation might contain 20–30 g/L copper sulfate together with 15–25 g/L ATMP, with pH adjusted to around 9–10; under these conditions ATMP controls metal speciation in the electrolyte, mitigates anode passivation and supports level, fine-grained and glossy coatings with thickness variation within only a few percent.

Pulp and Paper Industry

• In the pulp and paper industry, ATMP is primarily used as a scale inhibitor in systems where calcium and sulfate salts are prone to deposit under high temperature and alkaline conditions. During pulping and washing, high concentrations of Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, carbonate and sulfate ions can cause fouling in washers, strainers and screens, reducing washing efficiency and increasing downtime. ATMP dosed in the range of a few to a few tens of ppm complexes these ions and disrupts scale nucleation, keeping equipment surfaces cleaner and improving process stability.
• One of the most critical applications is in black-liquor multiple-effect evaporators, where severe scaling of heat-transfer surfaces can dramatically reduce evaporation capacity. ATMP dosages of about 10–20 ppm in these circuits can markedly suppress deposition of sodium-based scales, maintain heat-transfer coefficients and extend intervals between mechanical or chemical cleaning. In white-water and shower systems on paper machines, lower dosages in the 3–8 ppm range help keep spray nozzles clear and reduce plugging of felts and fabrics, leading to more consistent sheet formation and dewatering behavior.

Textile Printing and Dyeing Industry

• ATMP plays several roles in the textile printing and dyeing sector, especially as a chelating agent and hydrogen-peroxide bleaching stabilizer. In peroxide bleaching baths for cotton and blended fabrics, trace Fe³⁺ and Cu²⁺ ions catalyze decomposition of H₂O₂, causing loss of bleaching efficiency and potential fiber damage. ATMP is introduced at levels around 0.5–1.0 g/L to chelate these metal ions, thereby suppressing uncontrolled peroxide breakdown, improving whiteness and protecting fiber strength.
• In dyeing processes, particularly with reactive dyes, ATMP helps control water hardness by binding Ca²⁺ and Mg²⁺, preventing formation of insoluble dye-metal complexes that can cause specks, uneven shades and poor levelness. Textile grades typically require 95% or higher purity and low iron content to avoid shade changes or dullness. By controlling metal ions and scale across dyeing equipment and piping, ATMP supports consistent color reproduction, better color fastness and reduced downtime for cleaning.

Electronics Industry and High-Purity Applications

• In the electronics industry, ATMP is used in ultra-high-purity grades for semiconductor wafer cleaning and related ultra-clean processes. Here, purity requirements are particularly stringent: electronic-grade products may demand active content above 99%, heavy-metal content at or below the ppm level and very low arsenic content. ATMP’s strong chelating ability allows it to remove trace metal contaminants from wafer surfaces during cleaning and etching steps, thereby reducing particle counts and improving device yield.
• For advanced semiconductor nodes, high-purity ATMP is formulated into specialized cleaning mixtures that can dissolve or complex metallic residues without attacking underlying films or substrates. Plants using such formulations report that wafers cleaned with ATMP-based chemistries can reach surface particle counts below roughly 100 particles per cm², meeting the demands of leading-edge manufacturing. With continued miniaturization and stricter cleanliness requirements, demand for electronic-grade ATMP is expected to grow, driving further innovation in purification processes and quality control.

Building Materials Industry

• In building materials, ATMP is incorporated into admixtures for concrete and mortar as part of composite water-reducers and set-retarders. Its chelating function interacts with calcium ions in the cement paste, moderating early hydration of clinker minerals and extending setting time, which is especially beneficial for large-volume pours and hot-weather concreting. By preventing early precipitation of calcium salts in the pore solution, it also helps control internal scaling in mixing and pumping equipment.
• Typical dosage levels for ATMP-containing admixtures are on the order of 0.05–0.1% of binder mass in complex blends that may also include lignosulfonates, polycarboxylate superplasticizers and other retarding agents. In large infrastructure projects, such formulations have been used to extend initial setting by several hours without compromising long-term strength development, supporting better placement and consolidation of concrete while reducing the risk of thermal cracking in massive structural elements.

Daily Chemical and Consumer Products

• In daily chemical products, ATMP is used in highly refined grades as a low-dose anti-scale and anti-deposit ingredient. In toothpaste formulations, small amounts of ATMP can chelate calcium and other ions in saliva and plaque, inhibiting calculus formation and helping maintain tooth whiteness. Because toothpaste is a quasi-consumer-health product, ATMP must meet food-grade or pharmaceutical-grade purity standards, including very high assay and extremely low heavy-metal content, and must pass toxicological evaluations.
• In household cleaning and personal-care products, ATMP may be included in dishwashing detergents, automatic-washer detergents and specialized cleaners to control water hardness and prevent formation of lime scale on surfaces and appliances. In these applications, ATMP helps keep surfactant performance stable across different water qualities and reduces spotting on glassware, thereby supporting performance claims in premium formulations that are designed to be both effective and environmentally acceptable with lower total phosphorus content.

Market Segmentation and Specification Requirements

• Across all these application fields, the required technical specifications of ATMP vary widely, driving the development of a multi-grade product family. Standard industrial grades with around 50% active content and modest impurity limits serve large-volume markets such as general cooling-water, boiler-water, oilfield injection and paper mill service. High-purity grades with active content above 95% and stricter limits on phosphorous acid, orthophosphoric acid and iron are required for sensitive uses such as high-performance cooling systems, high-temperature oilfield operations, textile bleaching and high-quality metal cleaning.
• At the top of the spectrum, electroplating, electronics and daily-chemical applications demand electronic- or food-grade ATMP with purity at or above 99%, very low heavy-metal and chloride levels and precisely controlled physical properties such as density and pH. These differentiated specifications reflect the diverse performance and regulatory needs of downstream industries and have encouraged producers to develop more sophisticated purification, quality-control and application-engineering capabilities to serve each segment effectively.

Storage & Handling

• Store in tightly sealed containers.
• Keep away from heat and direct sunlight.
• Avoid contact with strong oxidizers and metal salts.
• Use clean, dry equipment during handling.
• Follow grounding practices to avoid static discharge.

Usage Notice

• Wear appropriate PPE during handling.
• Avoid prolonged exposure to moisture (solid grade).
• Check compatibility with other chemicals prior to formulation.
• Follow safety regulations for storage and transportation.
• Circulating cooling-water blend for general industry uses 10–30 mg/L of ATMP–HEDP at a 1:1 to 3:1 ratio to provide broad-spectrum control of calcium carbonate and calcium sulfate scale.
• Cooling-water composite treatment for steel or power plants uses 10 mg/L ATMP, 5 mg/L HEDP, 15 mg/L polyacrylic acid and 2 mg/L Zn²⁺ to combine threshold inhibition, dispersion and corrosion protection on carbon steel.
• Low-pressure boiler scale-control program doses 3–15 mg/L ATMP as an internal scale inhibitor, with dosage adjusted to feedwater hardness to maintain clean tubes and stable steam production.
• Boiler feedwater corrosion-control program uses 20–30 mg/L ATMP together with caustic to maintain pH around 9.0–9.5, reducing feedwater-line corrosion from about 0.15 mm/a to roughly 0.03 mm/a.
• Composite low-pressure boiler inhibitor formulation applies 15 mg/L ATMP with 10 mg/L sodium molybdate and 2 mg/L zinc salt to achieve around 98% scale inhibition and more than 95% corrosion inhibition.
• Reverse-osmosis antiscalant formulation for desalination plants doses ATMP and polyacrylic acid at a 1:3 ratio with a total dose of 5–8 mg/L to extend membrane cleaning intervals and lower operating costs.
• Oilfield water-injection scale-control program employs 5–20 ppm ATMP, adjusted to overall hardness and barium/strontium levels, to prevent deposition of sulfate and carbonate scales in injection lines and downhole equipment.
• High-mineralization oilfield water treatment uses 8–15 ppm ATMP with 3–5 ppm organic polymer dispersant to control calcium sulfate and barium sulfate scale with inhibition efficiencies above 95%.
• Acidizing-fluid formulation for well stimulation contains 31% industrial hydrochloric acid, 0.5–1.0% ATMP as an iron stabilizer and scale inhibitor, plus corrosion inhibitor and other additives to prevent post-acidization scale and iron precipitation.
• Cooling-water corrosion-control program for circulating systems uses ATMP in the 5–20 mg/L range together with zinc salts, phosphonates and polymers to maintain carbon-steel corrosion at or below approximately 0.02 mm/a.
• Acid pickling bath for steel cleaning uses 15–20% hydrochloric or sulfuric acid with 0.5–1.0% ATMP as an inhibitor to lower metal loss while improving surface finish.
• Neutral or mildly acidic metal-cleaning formulation typically contains 2–5% ATMP, 3–8% surfactants and 5–10% water-miscible solvents in water to remove oil, rust and scale from steel, stainless steel and aluminum alloys.
• Cyanide-free copper-plating electrolyte uses 20–30 g/L copper sulfate and 15–25 g/L ATMP in an alkaline bath adjusted to pH 9–10 to produce smooth, bright and uniform copper coatings.
• Pulp-washing scale-control program adds 5–10 ppm ATMP to washing circuits to prevent scaling in washers and strainers and to maintain washing efficiency.
• Black-liquor evaporator treatment uses 10–20 ppm ATMP in the evaporation system to suppress scale on heat-transfer surfaces and extend cleaning intervals.
• Paper-machine white-water and shower system dosing at 3–8 ppm ATMP prevents nozzle plugging and improves sheet formation and dewatering stability.
• Textile peroxide-bleaching stabilizer formulation adds 0.5–1.0 g/L ATMP to bleaching baths to chelate Fe³⁺ and Cu²⁺, stabilize hydrogen peroxide and protect fiber strength.
• Reactive-dye dyeing auxiliaries incorporate ATMP at appropriate low dosages to bind Ca²⁺ and Mg²⁺, prevent dye precipitation and improve levelness and color fastness.
• Cooling-water corrosion-inhibitor packages for air-conditioning systems incorporate ATMP at low mg/L levels with zinc and polymers to control both scale and corrosion in chiller circuits.
• Concrete admixture formulation for mass pours includes ATMP at about 0.05–0.1% of binder mass in a composite retarder and water-reducer to extend initial setting by three to four hours without sacrificing later-age strength.
• Toothpaste formulation uses food-grade ATMP at a low dosage as an anti-scale component to inhibit calculus formation and support stain prevention on teeth.

Packaging

ATMP Liquid:

• 30 kg plastic drum
• 250 kg plastic drum

ATMP Solid:

• 25 kg polyethylene-lined woven bag
• Custom packaging available upon request