Trisodium dicarboxymethyl alaninate

Trisodium dicarboxymethyl alaninate (CAS 164462-16-2), also known as DL-Alanine-N,N-diacetic acid trisodium salt, is a biodegradable aminopolycarboxylate chelating agent derived from alanine.

Where is Trisodium dicarboxymethyl alaninate used?

• Personal care: deactivates trace metals that degrade actives or cause discoloration in shampoos, lotions and liquid soaps
• Home care and industrial cleaning: prevents limescale redeposition and boosts surfactant performance in hard water
• Water treatment: controls metal ion interference in process water and cooling systems
• CIP formulations in food processing rely on its compatibility with alkaline cleaning systems.
• Applied in textile washing baths, in cleaning mineral deposits in paper production, and in developing water conditioners for pesticides affected by hard water.
• In water conditioning applications it acts as a calcium and magnesium binder, allowing the formulator to set the chelator amount according to the water's metal load.
• In pesticide water conditioner formulations, use is a researched approach for anionic herbicides affected by hardness ions.
• In milk processing, its complexing ability for insoluble calcium phosphate precipitates exceeds other degradable complexing agents.

Good to know: Sequesters calcium, magnesium and heavy metal ions across a broad pH range, enabling replacement of conventional chelants such as EDTA in environmentally sensitive applications.

Formulation notes

• Can be preferred where weaker complexing agents such as citrate and gluconate are insufficient, and can be used with polymeric deposit control additives in phosphonate-free water conditioning recipes.
• Stability in the presence of hydrogen peroxide, percarbonate, and perborate is sufficient for joint application, but combining trisodium dicarboxymethyl alaninate and peroxides in liquid formulations is not recommended.
• Gradually decomposed by chromic acid, potassium permanganate, and other strong oxidizing agents.
• Sodium hypochlorite and other chlorine-releasing agents cause decomposition.

Typical specification

• Water-soluble complexes generally form at a 1:1 molar ratio, and chelation efficiency is determined by the pH of the medium and the type of metal to be bound.
• Stable even when heated to 200 °C under pressure, whereas inorganic sequestrants like phosphates may hydrolyze at high temperatures.
• Granular MGDA source suitable for detergent and dry concentrate lines working with solid raw materials.

Storage, packaging and handling

• Recommended to store in tanks made of AISI 316 Ti or AISI 321 stainless steel.
• Should not be stored at temperatures below 0°C because this can cause precipitation.

Frequently asked questions about Trisodium dicarboxymethyl alaninate

How does trisodium dicarboxymethyl alaninate compare to other organic complexing agents at high temperatures?

It is more stable than other organic complexing agents such as citric acid, tartaric acid, and gluconates, especially at high temperatures.

What is trisodium dicarboxymethyl alaninate used for in cleaning applications?

Trisodium dicarboxymethyl alaninate is used for cleaning inorganic deposits.

Technical content is compiled and updated by the SoleChem product team from public technical sources; the certificate of analysis (COA) governs product-specific specifications.