Used primarily as a chelating agent, it effectively binds with metal ions, making it valuable in water treatment processes to prevent scale formation and control metal contamination. It is also employed in the formulation of detergents and cleaning agents to enhance their efficiency by softening water and removing metal stains. In industrial applications, it aids in stabilizing metal ions in various chemical processes, including electroplating and textile manufacturing. Additionally, it finds use in agriculture as a micronutrient carrier, improving the availability of essential metals to plants. Its ability to form stable complexes with metals also makes it useful in analytical chemistry for metal ion detection and separation.