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Trisodium phosphate, a white granular or crystalline structure, is one of the most important inorganic compounds. It is used in many industries for many purposes, like chlorination and manufacturing soap and washing powders. It is also used in our simple home remedies like cleaning our canvas shoes for instance.
TSP is not hard to manufacture and can be produced in different ways in the chemical industry. However, the use of trisodium phosphate has been gradually declining. Today we will be looking at services, the decline, and the attempts for a trisodium phosphate substitute in the commercial world.
Table of Contents
TSP in the cleaning industry
Trisodium phosphate used to be a top cleaning agent used in the manufacturing of soap and detergents. The primary reason is its unique and essential nature. Trisodium phosphate’s alkaline nature is adequate to saponify or simply break down fats and oil-based substances. Thus, it can clean everything from clothes and shoes to the driveways. In addition, it is used as an after cleaner for many spirit-based cleaning to break down any fatty components present, thus giving the surface a squeaky clean and neat finish. Nonetheless, scientists studied The Pros and Cons of Cleaning with TSP and unfortunately concluded that it harms the environment.
The decline in the usage of TSP
Like any other compound with phosphates, trisodium phosphate causes eutrophication of water bodies like lakes and rivers. Because there is no effective disposal of such substances, they can be harmful to aquatic life and human life.
Substitutes for TSP
Although many substitutes are being produced and manufactured daily, the use of TSP still remains today in the cleaning industry. However, it is not recommended for some tasks like cleaning steel items. It is because the TSP reacts with the metal and ends up staining it, which ruins the metal fixtures in places such as kitchens and bathrooms.
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