capable of linking the amino compounds together with the proviso that the resulting polyamine amine intermediate consists of amino hydrogen functionality and then 2 phosphonomethylation of all or some of the available amino hydrogen atoms a structural representation of the phosphonomethylated polyamine compound is given by formula i wherein u201c a u201d is the segment formed from polymerization of one or more amine containing monomers u201c x u201d is the segment formed from polymerization of one or more bridging reagents capable of linking said amino compounds together n is from about 1 to about 50 000 r 1 is selected from the group u2014 h substituted or unsubstituted c 1 c 18 alkyl or aryl poly alkylene oxide u2014 ch 2 u2014 po or 2 2 or mixtures thereof r 2 is u2014 h or a water soluble cation with the proviso that at least 20 of ri is u2014 ch 2 u2014 po or 2 2 molecular weight and viscosity of the phosphonomethylated polyamine are not critical provided that the polyamine is either water soluble or water dispersible exemplary amino compounds encompassing segment u201c a u201d include but are not limited to diamine compounds comprising two primary amine functionalities such as 1 2 ethylenediamine 1 3 propylenediamine 1 3 diamino 2hydroxypropane 1 4 butylenediamine 1 6 hexamethylenediamine 2 methyl 1 5 pentanediamine trimethyl hexamethylenediamine 1 2 diaminocyclohexane and 3 amino 3 5 5 trimethylcyclohexylamine polyamines such as diethylenetriamine bis hexamethylenetriamine triethylenetetraamine and tetraethylenepentaamine primary amines such as ethanolamine allylamine benzylamine and laurylamine polyetheramines such as the jeffamine u00ae series of products available from huntsman corporation and the dpa.