Potassium permanganate
General Product Information
| Article | Potassium permanganate |
| Synonyms | Potassium manganate(VII), Permanganate of potash |
| CAS No. | 7722-64-7 |
| EEG No. | 025-002-00-9 |
| EINECS No. | 231-760-3 |
| IMO | Class 5.1 |
| Tariff Code | 28416100 |
| UN No. | 1490 |
| VLG/ADR | Class 5.1, Packing Group II |
Description
Potassium permanganate is an inorganic compound with potent oxidative properties. It meets British Pharmacopoeia (BP) standards, which ensures that the product meets the required purity and safety standards. Potassium permanganate is a bright purple crystalline compound mainly used as an oxidizing agent in various industries, such as pharmaceutical, water treatment and chemical industries. It is often used as a disinfectant, sanitizer and in analytical Applications.
Characteristics
- Grade: Pharmaceutical.
- BP Grade: High purity and meets stricter standards for solvent residues and other contaminants.
- High purity: Meets pharmaceutical requirements for use in medicinal applications.
- Sensitive to reducing agents: Useful in various chemical processes and Applications.
- Oxidizing ability: Potassium permanganate is a strong oxidizing agent and is often used in redox reactions.
- Oxidizer: Potassium permanganate is classified as an oxidizer (VLG/ADR 5.1), which means it can react with flammable substances and reducing agents. At improper storage or handling, it can cause fire or explosions. It is corrosive and can cause serious eye or skin damage at contact
Physical & Chemical Properties
| Chemical Structure | KMnO4 |
| Molar Weight | 158.04 g/mol |
| Melting Point | 240 °C (the substance decomposes at this temperature point) |
| Boiling Point | – |
| Solubility | Highly soluble in water. |
| Density | 2.7 g/cm³ |
| Refractive Index | – |
| pH | – |
| Color | Purple |
| Shape | Crystalline powder or liquid |
Applications
Potassium permanganate is applied in various ways, for instance:
1. Pharmaceutical Industry
In medicine, potassium permanganate is used to treat skin infections, such as fungal infections and eczema, due to its antiseptic properties. It is also used in certain pharmaceutical preparations as a disinfectant.
2. Water Treatment
Potassium permanganate is widely used for water treatment, where it serves as a disinfectant and as an oxidizing agent to remove contaminants such as iron, manganese and organic matter.
3. Analytical Chemistry
Potassium permanganate is used in titrations and as a reactant for detecting reductive substances in laboratory settings.
4. Chemical Industry
It is used in the chemical industry as an oxidizer in the synthesis of other chemicals and for processing organic substances.
Interessing Links
- British Pharmacopoeia (BP) of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA)
- Codex Alimentarius (FAO/WHO) – Guidelines and standards for food additives and food ingredients.
- European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) – For chemical information and regulations.
- European Food Information Council (EFIC) – Food facts for healthy choices.
- European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) – Information about safety and application of food additives.
- European Pharmacopoeia (EP) of the European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines & HealthCare.
- PubChem – Potassium Permanganate of the National Library of Medicine by the National Center for Biotechnology Information.
- U.S. Pharmacopoeia (USP)
- Wikipedia – Potassium permanganate