No abstract

No abstract

No abstract

Continuing pressures to reduce phosphates in wastewaters have sustained an intensive worldwide search to develop acceptable substitutes. Organic polycarboxylate salts have been most extensively investigated because there are a large number of structural possibilities, and the possibility for biodegradation to innocuous CO2 and H20 offers an optimal answer to most environmental questions. In addition to testing known compounds, many novel structures have been synthesized in efforts to tailor materials with optimum properties. Stringent requirements for functional effectiveness, human safety, environmental acceptability, practical processability, and acceptable costs have limited the number of v i a b l e alternatives. Compounds that have been proposed are reviewed with particular attention to recent developments.

No abstract