Abstract
Insoluble salts of alkaline earth metals (e.g. calcium phosphate) dissolve in nonaqueous solvents containing EDTA salts of organic cations (e.g. tetraethylammonium). Bone [rat tibia] is efficiently demineralized in ethanolic trimethylammonium EDTA. Retention in the matrix of water-soluble materials (e.g. proteoglycan) is much better than in standard aqueous EDTA demineralization procedures.