Compounds | Reactions | Production
|
Potassium Compounds |
Potassium alginate |
Potassium benzoate |
Potassium chlorate |
Potassium chloride |
Potassium cyanate |
Potassium fluoride |
Potassium nitrate |
Potassium sorbat |
Potassium sulfate |
Potassium alginate KC6H7O6 |
It is an extract of seaweed and is used as a thickener in the food industry and as a gelling agent and emulsifier. |
Potassium benzoate |
A food preservative that inhibits the growth of mold, yeast and some bacteria. It works best in low-pH products, below 4.5, where it exists as benzoic acid. Acidic food and beverage like fruit juice (citric acid), sparkling drinks (carbon dioxide), soft drinks (phosphoric acid), pickles (vinegar) or other acidified food are preserved with potassium benzoate. |
Potassium chlorate KClO3 |
: Oxidizer : |
It is used in some recipes for gunpowder, generally replacing the less powerful ingredient potassium nitrate. Potassium chlorate is used also as a pesticide. |
Potassium chlorate is used in the oxygen-supply systems of aircraft, and has been responsible for at least one plane crash. A fire on the space station MIR was also traced to this substance. The decomposition of potassium chlorate was also used to provide the oxygen supply for limelights. |
Potassium cyanate KCNO |
It is a general chemical reagent and it is used as a herbicide. |
Potassium fluoride KF |
Used for etching glass and also as a preservative and insecticide. |
Potassium nitrate KNO3 |
One of the most useful applications of potassium nitrate is in the production of nitric acid, by adding concentrated sulfuric acid to an aqueous solution of potassium nitrate, yielding nitric acid and potassium sulfate which are separated through fractional distillation. |
is also used as a fertilizer, in model rocket propellant, and in several fireworks such as smoke bombs, in which a mixture with sugar produces a smoke cloud of 600 times their own volume. |
In the process of food preservation, potassium nitrate is a common ingredient of salted meat, but heart patients need to take care with it. As a preservative it can be known as E249. |
It has also been used in the manufacture of ice cream and can be found in some toothpastes for sensitive teeth. Recently, the use of potassium nitrate in toothpastes for sensitive teeth has increased dramatically, despite the fact that it has not been conclusively shown to help dental hypersensitivity. |
Potassium sorbat C6H7O2K |
Used to inhibit molds, and yeasts in many foods, such as cheese, wine, yogurt, and baked goods. It can also be found in the ingredients list of many dried fruit products. In addition, herbal dietary supplement products generally contain potassium sorbate, which acts to prevent mold and microbes and to increase shelf life, and is used in such tiny quantities that there is no known adverse health effect. Labeling of this preservative can either read as "potassium sorbate," or "sorbic acid," or "preservatives." |
Potassium sulfate K2SO4 |
The principal use of potassium sulfate is as a fertilizer. The crude salt is also used occasionally in the manufacture of glass. |