Sodium hexametaphosphate of commerce is typically a mixture of metaphosphates, of which the hexamer is one, and is usually the compound referred to by this name. Such a mixture is more correctly termed sodium polymetaphosphateSHMP is widely used in oil field, paper-making, textile, printing and dyeing, petrochemical, tanning, boiler, metallurgical industry and building material industries, so it can be used as water softener, buffering agents, flotation agent and high temperature binding agent.