Phosphates are usually sodium salts but can also include potassium, calcium,

magnesium, & ammonium salts as well. Polyphosphates are a group of phosphates that
are created from polymeric chemical compounds. These compounds are produced from
the condensation reactions of several phosphoric acid molecules. The chemical formula
for the phosphate ion is PO43-. Phosphoric acid (HPO3) is required in the production of
phosphates, as well as sodium, potassium, and calcium hydroxides [NaOH, KOH, and
Ca(OH)2]. APPLICATIONS

. Phosphoric acid (HPO3) is required in the production of phosphates, as well as sodium,

potassium, and calcium hydroxides [NaOH, KOH, and Ca(OH)2]. Polyphosphates are
prepared differently from other phosphates. Orthophosphoric acid is sometimes heated to
dehydration to form polyphosphoric acids, which are then neutralized to form
polyphosphates. More commonly, the salts of orthophosphoric acid are simply heated to
form the polyphosphates. There are several specific polyphosphates which are produced
in the chemical industry. For example, the tetra-alkali metal ion dimers sodium
pyrophosphate (Na4P2O7) and potassium pyrophosphate (K4P2O7), which are used to make
liquid detergents, to etch metal, to stabilize emulsions, and as food additives. Another
polyphosphate that is produced commercially is the dimeric disodium salt, disodium
dihydrogen pyrophosphate (Na2H2P2O 7 ), which is used in both the food and mining
industries.
is their use in fertilizers. Until the middle of the nineteenth century, when the use of
phosphates in fertilizers began, the amount of phosphorus compounds that could be used
by plants was very low. The phosphorus content of soils was so low, in fact that the crop
yields were declining. Two reasons the phosphorus levels in the soil were so low is the
fact that phosphorus only makes up about 0.1% of the Earth's crust, and naturally
occurring phosphorus compounds, such as those found in manure, are generally insoluble
in aqueous solutions. The development of phosphate fertilizers increased the yield of
crops. The extra phosphorus available in the soil gave rise to stronger, healthier plants
With these benefits of phosphates have come problems. Phosphates that leach out of the
soil and drain into lakes, streams and ponds are causing major ecological disturbances.