Potassium chloride
General Product Information
| Article | Potassium chloride |
| Synonyms | Muriate of potash, Sylvite |
| CAS No. | 7447-40-7 |
| EEG No. | – |
| EINECS No. | 231-211-8 |
| IMO | – |
| Tariff Code | 31042050 |
| UN No. | – |
| VLG/ADR | – |
Description
Potassium chloride is an inorganic salt that occurs naturally as the mineral sylvite. It comes as colorless to white crystals and is highly soluble in water. Potassium chloride is mainly used as a fertilizer, but also has wide use in the Chemical Industry. The product is essential in various industries where potassium is required as a nutrient or chemical building block.
Characteristics
- Odor: Odorless.
- Hygroscopic: Yes, light.
- Color: White to Colorless.
- Grade: Technical.
- Solubility: Highly soluble in water; poorly soluble in ethanol.
- Shape: Crystalline powder.
Physical & Chemical Properties
| Chemical Structure | KCl |
| Molar Weight | 74.55 g/mol |
| Melting Point | 770 °C |
| Boiling Point | 1420 °C |
| Density | 1.98 g/cm³ |
| Refractive Index | – |
| pH. | Approx. 5.5 – 8.0 (at 5% solution). |
Applications
Potassium chloride is applied in various ways, for instance:
1. Agriculture
Potassium chloride is the most widely used potassium source in the fertilizer industry. It provides potassium (K), an essential nutrient for plants that improves growth, water balance and disease resistance.
2. Chemical Industry
It is used in chemical syntheses for the production of other potassium compounds (such as KOH), in drilling fluids at oil and gas wells, and in metallurgical applications. It is also used in water softening plants.
Interessing Links
- CAS Common Chemistry – Potassium Chloride
- European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) – For chemical information and regulations.
- PubChem – Potassium Chloride – Chemical information by the National Library of Medicine of the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NIH-NCBI).
- Wikipedia – Potassium chloride