Etidronic Acid HEDP Ethane-1-hydroxy-1,1-diphosphonic acid CAS 2809-21-4

Tree Chem manufactures HEDP CAS 2809-21-4 for customers seeking to purchase reliable phosphonate-based chelating agents used in scale inhibition, corrosion control, and metal ion stabilization. With strong chelation toward Ca²⁺, Fe²⁺/Fe³⁺ and other multivalent ions, HEDP plays an essential role in preventing mineral scale formation in industrial circulating water systems and membrane filtration operations.

Available in colorless or slightly yellow transparent liquid (50% / 60%) and white crystalline solid, HEDP demonstrates superior resistance to thermal decomposition and oxidation, making it highly effective for long-term water treatment performance. Tree Chem offers multiple packaging options and stable supply for different industrial applications. For cooperation or custom specifications, please contact info@cntreechem.com.

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Water Treatment Industry – Circulating Cooling-Water Systems

• Hydroxyethylidene-1,1-diphosphonic Acid (HEDP) is first and foremost a core scale inhibitor and corrosion-control component in industrial circulating cooling-water systems, which account for the largest share of its global consumption. Its hydroxy-methylene diphosphonic structure enables strong chelation of Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, Fe²⁺/Fe³⁺ and other metal ions, while its “threshold effect” and lattice-distortion capability suppress the nucleation and growth of carbonate, sulfate and other scales even at sub-stoichiometric dosages. As water evaporates and concentrates in recirculating circuits, HEDP keeps hardness ions either complexed in solution or transformed into fine, non-adherent crystals that are swept away rather than forming hard deposits on heat-exchange surfaces.
• Beyond scale control, HEDP also acts as an effective corrosion inhibitor in cooling systems. It adsorbs on metal surfaces and participates in forming compact protective films that reduce the access of dissolved oxygen, chloride and other aggressive species to steel or copper alloys. In neutral to mildly alkaline conditions, properly formulated programs achieve corrosion-inhibition efficiencies above 80%, with carbon-steel corrosion rates brought down to levels consistent with national industrial-water standards. In practice, HEDP is used at roughly 1–10 mg/L when focused on scale inhibition and 10–50 mg/L when significant corrosion inhibition is required, with exact dosage tuned to water chemistry, cycles of concentration and operational load.

Water Treatment Industry – Composite Cooling-Water and Boiler Programs

• In modern cooling-water management, HEDP is almost always deployed in blended formulations to exploit synergy with dispersants and other film-forming agents. Typical circulating-water programs combine HEDP with polyacrylic acid (PAA), polymaleic acid (PMA) or related polycarboxylates, and often with zinc salts or orthophosphate. In such blends, HEDP provides strong chelation and threshold inhibition, while polymers prevent crystal agglomeration and zinc contributes to cathodic-film formation. One representative composite formulation uses several tens of milligrams per liter of HEDP-based actives in the system, delivering high inhibition ratios for calcium-carbonate and calcium-sulfate scaling while simultaneously maintaining low corrosion rates on carbon steel and copper alloys.
• Boiler water is the second major traditional outlet for HEDP, particularly in low- and medium-pressure boilers. Under high temperature and evaporation, carbonate, sulfate and silicate scales readily form on boiler tubes, causing severe efficiency losses and overheating. HEDP maintains its stability at elevated temperatures and continues to chelate hardness ions and distort crystal growth in this harsher environment, preventing the formation of dense adherent deposits. In practical boiler-water programs, HEDP is dosed at around 10–50 mg/L, usually in combination with alkalizing agents such as sodium hydroxide or sodium carbonate to maintain the boiler water pH between about 9 and 11, a range where its corrosion inhibition is reinforced. For high-pressure boilers, sodium-free potassium salts of HEDP are preferred to avoid issues related to sodium carryover and steam purity, while still delivering scale-control and corrosion-control performance.

Reverse Osmosis and Desalination Systems

• Reverse-osmosis (RO) and membrane-based desalination systems represent another important application territory for HEDP, especially where high-salinity feedwaters or high-recovery designs make scaling a critical risk. In these systems, HEDP functions as a membrane-compatible antiscalant that complexes Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, Ba²⁺ and Sr²⁺ and modifies the crystal habit of salts such as calcium carbonate, calcium sulfate, barium sulfate and strontium sulfate. By keeping these salts from forming dense deposits on membrane surfaces, HEDP helps maintain flux, reduce trans-membrane pressure rise and extend cleaning intervals. Typical dosages in RO feeds are about 2–5 mg/L, adjusted according to feed-water composition and recovery ratio.
• Compatibility with membrane materials is crucial in this segment. HEDP does not induce detrimental membrane phosphatization and has good stability under typical RO operating conditions, making it suitable as a core antiscalant component. When combined with dispersant polymers and low-dose biocides in composite antiscalant formulations, HEDP can significantly lengthen the time between chemical cleanings in seawater and brackish-water desalination plants, improving uptime and lowering lifecycle operating costs.

Oilfield Water Injection, Acidizing and Fracturing

• In oilfields, HEDP is extensively used as a scale inhibitor, acidizing additive and corrosion-control component in injection-water and production systems. Injection waters often have high concentrations of Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, Ba²⁺ and Sr²⁺, and may be mixed with formation waters containing sulfate and carbonate species, creating ideal conditions for tenacious scales such as barium sulfate and strontium sulfate to form in tubing, perforations and near-wellbore regions. HEDP’s strong chelation of alkaline earth cations and resistance to high temperature and salinity allow it to effectively control these scales at dosages typically in the 20–100 mg/L range, cutting corrosion rates and keeping injectivity and productivity stable.
• During acidizing operations, HEDP acts as a key additive in hydrochloric- or mixed-acid systems by stabilizing dissolved Fe³⁺ and other metal ions released from tubulars and formations. Without stabilization, these ions hydrolyze and form insoluble hydroxides as pH rises, plugging pores and fractures. HEDP complexes these ions across a broad pH window, preventing precipitation and maintaining open flow channels. In hydrofluoric-acid treatments, it helps prevent secondary precipitation such as silica or fluosilicate gels by forming stable complexes, and it also contributes to corrosion inhibition on tubulars and tools. In fracturing fluids and oilfield brines, HEDP can further function as a component that stabilizes crosslinking systems and controls scale formation during high-shear, high-temperature operations.

Metal Processing Industry – Cleaning and Descaling

• In metal processing, HEDP is widely used in surface-cleaning agents for steel, copper alloys and aluminum alloys, where its strong chelating power towards iron, calcium, magnesium and other metal ions is exploited to remove rust, scale and water-borne deposits. When incorporated into alkaline or mildly acidic cleaning formulations, HEDP dissolves iron oxides and scale by forming soluble complexes with Fe³⁺ and other ions, while surfactants remove oils and particulates. Compared with simple mineral acids, HEDP-based cleaners provide efficient scale removal with significantly lower base-metal corrosion, resulting in smoother surfaces and less metal loss.
• For steel, HEDP-containing cleaners can boost derusting efficiency substantially while cutting substrate corrosion roughly in half compared with conventional treatments. In copper and copper-alloy cleaning, HEDP removes basic copper carbonate and cuprous oxide layers and simultaneously leaves a thin protective film that retards re-oxidation. For aluminum and its alloys, where overt attack by strong acids or bases can be problematic, the mild acidity and chelating action of HEDP provide a controlled cleaning mechanism that removes oxide film and scale without over-etching, yielding bright, uniform surfaces ready for painting, plating or anodizing.

Metal Processing Industry – Electroplating, Pretreatment and Surface Treatment

• In electroplating and surface finishing, HEDP is used as a cyanide-free complexing agent and as a pretreatment activator. In alkaline copper-plating baths, HEDP forms stable complexes with Cu²⁺, controlling metal speciation and reduction kinetics without relying on toxic cyanide. When bath pH, HEDP dosage and copper concentration are properly balanced, bright, uniform copper coatings can be obtained with fine grain and good throwing power. In electroless nickel systems, HEDP acts as both a complexant and stabilizer, controlling nickel ion availability and suppressing premature precipitation of nickel phosphites, thereby extending bath life and improving deposit quality.
• As a pretreatment agent, HEDP can be used to activate metal surfaces before plating by removing residual oxides and providing a clean, mildly passivated surface. Compared with aggressive acid pickling, this activation avoids over-etching and can form a thin protective layer that prevents re-oxidation prior to electrodeposition. In phosphating and passivation processes, HEDP works as a promoter and stabilizer: it accelerates phosphating reactions, improves the quality and compactness of phosphate coatings and stabilizes bath chemistry against precipitation. In chromium-free passivation systems, HEDP contributes to the formation of corrosion-resistant films that avoid the environmental issues associated with hexavalent chromium.

Pulp and Paper, Textile and Dyeing

• In pulp and paper production, HEDP is used mainly as a chelating agent and scale inhibitor in pulping and bleaching circuits. Metal ions such as Fe³⁺, Cu²⁺ and Mn²⁺ catalyze the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide and other oxidants, degrading bleaching efficiency and damaging fibers. HEDP binds these ions and suppresses undesired catalytic reactions, allowing peroxide bleaching stages to operate more efficiently and with lower chemical consumption. In multiple-effect evaporators handling black liquor, HEDP dosing in the tens of milligrams per liter helps control scaling on heat-transfer surfaces, maintaining evaporation capacity and prolonging intervals between cleanings. In white-water and shower systems on paper machines, lower dosages help keep nozzles and felts free of deposits, stabilizing sheet formation and drainage.
• In textile processing, HEDP plays several roles as a chelating dispersant, peroxide stabilizer and leveling/fixing auxiliary. During peroxide bleaching, trace metal ions cause rapid peroxide breakdown and fiber damage; HEDP stabilizes the bleaching liquor, lowers peroxide decomposition rate, improves whiteness and preserves fiber strength. In dyeing, it complexes calcium and magnesium to prevent the formation of insoluble dye-metal deposits that would otherwise cause specks and shade irregularities. In printing and finishing, HEDP-containing auxiliaries help maintain clear prints, sharp patterns and uniform coloration by preventing metal-induced aggregation of dyes and pigments.

Electronics and High-Purity Applications

• The electronics industry, particularly semiconductor manufacturing and advanced printed-circuit processing, demands ultra-high-purity grades of HEDP for wafer cleaning, etching and CMP applications. In wafer cleaning, HEDP is incorporated into high-purity cleaning formulations that remove trace metallic contaminants without attacking sensitive films or substrates. Its chelating capability enables efficient removal of metal residues at very low concentrations, and stringent controls on heavy metals, particulates and organic impurities in electronic-grade HEDP prevent the introduction of new contaminants.
• In chemical-mechanical planarization (CMP), HEDP functions as a component of polishing slurries that manage metal ions and colloidal particles generated during abrasion. By keeping these species in stable dispersed or complexed states, it helps avoid re-deposition and scratch formation, contributing to low defect densities and highly planar surfaces. In PCB manufacturing, HEDP-based formulations are used for cleaning and etching control, ensuring accurate line definition and stable surface conditions for subsequent metallization and soldering. The performance and reliability of modern microelectronics make the purity and consistency of HEDP a critical parameter in this segment.

Building Materials and Construction

• In building materials, HEDP is used as a set-retarding and water-reducing component in concrete admixtures, as well as in specialized cement systems such as oil-well cement. By adsorbing on cement particles and chelating Ca²⁺, it slows early hydration of clinker minerals, extending both initial and final setting times. This is especially valuable in hot-weather or mass-concrete pours, where extended working time is needed to place and vibrate large volumes without cold joints or early stiffening. When dosed appropriately, HEDP extends set by several hours while still allowing normal strength development at later ages.
• In oil-well cementing, HEDP-containing admixtures provide robust retardation across a wide temperature range, allowing cement slurries to remain pumpable long enough to reach the target depth and form an effective annular seal in high-temperature, high-pressure wells. HEDP also contributes to improved workability and can be integrated into multi-functional admixture packages that combine retardation with water reduction and durability enhancements. In architectural and industrial coatings, HEDP may be used as a pigment-dispersing and anti-settling component, improving pigment stability and helping maintain uniform color and gloss during storage and application.

Daily Chemical and Consumer Products

• In daily chemical products, HEDP serves as a phosphorus-containing chelating and anti-scale agent that can partly replace traditional phosphate builders while offering lower eutrophication impact at equivalent performance. In laundry powders and liquid detergents, it complexes Ca²⁺ and Mg²⁺ in wash water, preserving surfactant effectiveness, improving soil removal and preventing mineral deposits on fabrics and machine parts. Its presence helps avoid dulling of colors and graying of fabrics by limiting re-deposition of dirt and hardness salts.
• In household hard-surface cleaners and dishwashing formulations, HEDP prevents lime-scale formation on surfaces and in appliances, reduces spotting and enhances perceived cleaning power in hard water. In personal-care products such as shampoos, body washes and toothpastes, HEDP functions as a chelating and stabilizing additive: it ties up metal ions that can catalyze ingredient degradation, supports foam stability and contributes to anti-scale effects in the mouth by inhibiting tartar formation on teeth. High-purity grades are required for these quasi-health and cosmetic uses, with strict control over heavy metals and residual reactants.

Pharmaceutical and Radiopharmaceutical Uses

• In pharmaceuticals, HEDP is an important intermediate for the synthesis of various bisphosphonate drugs that regulate bone metabolism. By appropriate chemical modification of the hydroxyethylidene diphosphonate core, active bisphosphonates are produced for treatment of osteoporosis, bone metastases, hypercalcemia and other bone-related conditions. These molecules have high affinity for hydroxyapatite in bone and inhibit abnormal bone resorption, increasing bone density and reducing fracture risk. Manufacturing such actives requires HEDP with tightly controlled purity and impurity profiles to meet stringent pharmacopeial and GMP standards.
• In nuclear medicine, HEDP serves as a chelating ligand for radiopharmaceuticals targeting bone tissue. Complexes of HEDP with technetium-99m are widely used as bone imaging agents, concentrating in regions of high bone turnover and allowing clear visualization of fractures, metastases and infections. Complexes with therapeutic radionuclides such as rhenium-188 or samarium-153 are used for palliative treatment of bone metastasis pain, where the bone-seeking properties of the HEDP complex deliver beta radiation selectively to affected sites. These applications demand very high chemical and radiochemical stability, biocompatibility and strict control of trace impurities.

Specification Grades and Market Segmentation

• Across all of these application areas, HEDP is supplied in multiple specification grades tailored to industry needs. Industrial liquid grades with around 50–60% active content and well-defined limits on phosphorous acid, orthophosphoric acid, chloride and iron serve large-volume sectors such as general industrial water treatment, oilfield injection and metal cleaning. Solid grades with active content close to or above 90% provide higher activity and reduced transport costs, while remaining suitable for scale and corrosion control in demanding conditions.
• High-purity products with active content above about 95% address more sensitive applications, including high-performance water treatment, textile bleaching and high-quality metal surface treatment. At the top of the quality ladder, electronic- and food-grade HEDP, with purity often exceeding 98.5–99% and very low heavy-metal and arsenic content, are used in semiconductor manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, personal-care products and other high-value fields. This diversification in grade and quality underpins HEDP’s broad adoption across water treatment, energy, materials, electronics and healthcare.

보관 및 취급

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

사용 공지

• Wear suitable gloves and protective equipment.
• Keep solid grade dry and free from moisture.
• Test compatibility before blending with strong oxidizers or metal ions.
• Follow local regulations for chemical storage and transportation.
• Circulating-cooling-water scale and corrosion control package uses 36–40% HEDP, 16–20% phosphoric acid, 9–12% trisodium phosphate and the balance deionized water, dosed at 10–30 mg/L to prevent calcium-carbonate and calcium-sulfate scaling while protecting carbon steel and copper alloys.
• Composite boiler-water treatment formula contains 15–20% HEDP, 10–15% sodium polyacrylate, 2–3% zinc salt, caustic soda to adjust pH to about 9–11 and the balance deionized water, applied at 20–50 mg/L to control internal boiler scale and corrosion.
• Reverse-osmosis antiscalant concentrate consists of 40–50% HEDP, 20–30% polyepoxysuccinic acid (PESA), 0.5–1.0% isothiazolinone and the remainder deionized water, dosed at 2–5 mg/L on feed water to suppress carbonate and sulfate scales and inhibit biofouling on membranes.
• Oilfield injection-water scale inhibitor uses 50–60% HEDP, 20–30% organic phosphonate ester, 5–10% surfactant, 5–10% mutual solvent and water as balance, injected at about 5–20 ppm to prevent barium- and strontium-sulfate deposition in injection lines and formations.
• Acidizing-fluid additive package contains 0.5–1.0% HEDP, 0.5–1.0% corrosion inhibitor, 0.2–0.5% iron stabilizer, 0.1–0.3% flowback surfactant, 20–30% hydrochloric acid and the balance water, where HEDP complexes Fe³⁺ and mitigates post-acidizing scale and iron precipitation.
• Oilfield fracturing fluid uses 0.3–0.5% HEDP, 0.5–0.8% guar gum, 0.05–0.1% crosslinker, 0.05–0.1% biocide, 0.05–0.1% breaker and water as balance, with HEDP stabilizing metal ions and helping maintain fluid performance under high temperature and shear.
• Industrial metal-cleaner formulation includes 5–10% HEDP, 3–5% sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate, 2–3% fatty alcohol ethoxylate (AEO-9), 5–8% sodium carbonate, 3–5% sodium silicate and water as balance, diluted 10–20 times to remove scale, rust and oils from metal surfaces.
• Cyanide-free copper electroplating bath contains 20–30 g/L copper sulfate, 15–25 g/L HEDP, caustic soda to adjust pH to 9–10, suitable brightener and water as balance, yielding compact, bright copper deposits at 25–40°C and 1–3 A/dm².
• Metal passivation solution is formulated with 10–15% HEDP, 5–8% nitric acid, 3–5% phosphoric acid and water as balance, treating parts at room temperature for several minutes to form dense passive films that improve corrosion resistance.
• Textile pretreatment auxiliary for scouring and bleaching incorporates 5–8% HEDP, 2–3% penetrant JFC, 1–2% nonionic wetter (such as Pingpingjia O) and water as balance, used at 2–5 g/L and 60–80°C to remove metal ions and impurities before dyeing.
• Electronic wafer-cleaning formulation uses 3–5% high-purity HEDP, 0.5–1.0% hydrofluoric acid and deionized water as balance, applied under tightly controlled conditions to remove metal contaminants and residues from semiconductor surfaces.
• Concrete set-retarding admixture for construction contains 0.05–0.1% HEDP and 0.02–0.05% sodium gluconate relative to cement mass, with appropriate water, extending initial and final set by 2–4 hours while maintaining long-term strength.
• Oil-well cement slurry retarder uses HEDP at about 0.05–0.1% of cement mass in combination with other additives to control thickening time over a wide temperature range and ensure reliable placement in high-temperature wells.
• Laundry detergent formulation includes 1–3% HEDP as a chelating and softening agent, together with surfactants and builders, to prevent hardness-ion interference, improve cleaning efficiency and reduce scale in washing machines.
• Liquid dishwashing detergent uses 0.5–2% HEDP as a chelating and anti-spotting component to control water hardness, prevent glassware filming and stabilize surfactant performance.
• Toothpaste formulation incorporates 0.5–1.0% food-grade HEDP as an anti-tartar agent that complexes calcium in saliva and plaque to inhibit calculus formation on tooth surfaces.
• Shampoo formulation contains 0.2–0.5% HEDP as a chelating stabilizer to bind trace metal ions, enhance foaming behavior and protect hair from metal-induced damage.
• Pulp-bleaching stage uses HEDP at appropriate dosages as a peroxide stabilizer and metal chelator to reduce hydrogen-peroxide decomposition, lower chemical consumption and improve pulp brightness and strength.
• Black-liquor evaporator treatment program doses about 10–20 ppm HEDP into the evaporation system to suppress scale formation on heat-transfer surfaces and extend mechanical- or chemical-cleaning intervals.
• PCB or metal-surface cleaning bath includes several percent HEDP with surfactants and alkali to remove oxides and metal contaminants, ensuring cleaned substrates with good adhesion and low defect rates for subsequent processing.

포장

HEDP Liquid:

• 30 kg plastic drum
• 250 kg plastic drum

HEDP Solid:

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