EDTA

Overview

EDTA (ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid) is a proven, versatile aminopolycarboxylate chelating agent used to control metal ions, reduce the effects of hard water, prevent metal-catalyzed degradation, and improve formulation stability.

With strong and well-established chelation performance across a broad range of applications, EDTA is widely used in household and industrial cleaning, personal care, agriculture, water treatment, and industrial processing.

Available in multiple forms—including EDTA Acid, Disodium EDTA, and Tetrasodium EDTA—EDTA provides formulators with flexibility to select the appropriate salt form, solubility, and pH characteristics for their application.

EDTA is an aminopolycarboxylate chelating agent containing four carboxylate groups and two nitrogen atoms. It can coordinate with metal ions through multiple donor sites, producing highly stable metal-EDTA complexes.

Benefits

Strong chelation of Ca, Mg, Fe, Cu, Zn and Mn

Excellent control of trace metal ions

Effective water-softening capability

Improves cleaning and detergent performance

Helps prevent metal-induced oxidation and degradation

Enhances formulation stability

Helps prevent precipitation and scale formation

Compatible with a wide range of formulation systems

Available in multiple salt forms

Well-established and extensively characterized chemistry

Suitable for a broad range of industrial and consumer applications

Applications

Household, I&I, dishwashing, bathroom, and metal cleaners

Laundry detergents, including bleach-containing systems

Shampoos, conditioners, liquid soaps, facial cleansers, body washes, and skin-care formulas

Fe-EDTA, Zn-EDTA, Mn-EDTA, and Cu-EDTA micronutrient fertilizers

Foliar nutrition and fertigation

Industrial water treatment, boilers, and process-water systems

Metal cleaning and finishing, textiles, pulp & paper, oilfield, and chemical processing

EDTA Product Forms

Product	Primary Characteristics	Typical Applications
EDTA Acid	High-purity acid form; requires neutralization for many applications	Chelate manufacturing, specialty formulations
EDTA-2Na	Disodium salt with good formulation flexibility	Personal care, cleaning, industrial
EDTA-4Na	Tetrasodium salt; highly water soluble and alkaline	Detergents, cleaning, water treatment, industrial

EDTA vs. Next-Generation Chelates

Reliant’s chelating-agent portfolio allows formulators to select the chemistry that best matches their technical, regulatory, sustainability, and cost requirements.

Chelant	Key Strength	Best Fit
EDTA	Strong, broad-spectrum chelation	High-performance conventional formulations
GLDA	Biodegradable profile + broad formulation flexibility	Sustainable cleaning & industrial formulations
MGDA	Strong Ca/Mg binding and alkaline performance	Detergents & water softening
DTPA	Exceptional multivalent/Fe³⁺ chelation	High-value micronutrient & industrial applications