[Jewelry making - Article 01047] - Re: [Orchid] TSP the same as trisodium phosphate?

[Peter W . Rowe]

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>     On the other hand, the sodium metasilicate might have been added to
>     their cleaner, in addition to the TSP, to give it more scouring
>     power. Or possibly it is there as an impurity in large enough
>     quantity to require listing on the label. 

Margaret,

    Sodium Metasilicate is sold as a replacement for TSP, because it is
    a phosphate free cleaner.  TSP, containing phosphates, presents a
    waste water pollution problem in some areas, as the phosphate can
    cause algae blooms.  Some locations have banned the use of phosphate
    containing laundry detergents since the large quantities of that
    stuff (from everyone's laundry) that ends up in the streams and
    rivers, was causing ecological changes.  As a result many laundry
    products eliminated the phosphates,  to comply with the laws.  Since
    TSP is also a cleaning agent, it falls under that law for that type
    of use,  and manufacturers then packaged the sodium metasilicate with
    labels that suggest it's the same as TSP.  It's not an impurity or
    additive to TSP.  It's a phosphate free substitute.  And it doesn't
    work correctly in prips flux.  The phosphates in this use (prips flux)
    don't present a problem, since we're not flushing large amounts down
    the storm drains. 

Peter


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