Oligo and polyphosphoric acids contained in metaphosphoric acid solution were analysed by ion-exchange chromatography (exponential gradient elution) as well as by paper chromatography. Hydrolytic degradation of metaphosphoric acid and the stability of ascorbic acid in the presence of metaphosphoric acid were also studied. Metaphosphoric acid was proved to be a mixture of various phosphoric acids, from orthophosphoric acid (P
1) to octaphosphoric acid (P
3) and long chain phosphoric acid (coiled chain phosphoric acid) above pentadecaphosphoric acid (P
15) as well as trimetaphosphoric acid (P
3m), one of ring phosphoric acids. When an aqueous solution of metaphosphoric acid was allowed to stand for many hours, chain phosphoric acids above triphosphoric acid (P
3) and P
3m were degradated hydrolytically to form P
1 and pyrophosphoric acid (P
2), and finally to form only orthophosphoric acid. However, even after standing for 120 days, a slight amount of coiled chain phosphoric acid still remained. Hydrolytic degradation of metaphosphoric acid in an ascorbic acid solution proceeded almost similarly to that of metaphosphoric acid alone, but the rate of degradation of metaphosphoric acid in a mixed solution of ascorbic acid, a metallic ion, and metaphosphoric acid, was considerably faster than that of metaphosphoric acid alone. On the other hand, oxidation of ascorbic acid was remarkably depressed by the presence of metaphosphoric acid. Metaphosphoric acid was proved to be effective in preventing oxidation of ascorbic acid in the presence of any metallic ion. Oxidation of ascorbic acid is accelerated by metallicions, in the order of Cu
2+>Fe
3+>Sn
2+.
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