Used as a cleaning agent for removing rust and ink stains due to its ability to form soluble complexes with iron. Commonly employed in textile processing to assist in dyeing and bleaching operations. Acts as a precipitating agent in analytical chemistry for the separation of calcium and rare earth elements. Utilized in the preparation of buffer solutions and as a stabilizer in photographic developers. Also found in some metal polishing formulations and as a chelating agent in various industrial processes.

Additionally, it serves as an intermediate in organic synthesis and as an anticoagulant in blood collection tubes by chelating calcium ions to prevent clotting. In clinical analysis, it is used to precipitate calcium from urine samples for quantification, though it interferes with direct serum calcium measurements.