Potassium bromate

Potassium bromicum

White crystalline solid

Fixed

3.27 g · cm -3

350 ° C.

Decomposition at 370 ° C.

• Poorly in water ( 69 g · l-1 at 20 ° C)
• Practically insoluble in ethanol

Risk

157 mg · kg -1 ( LD50, rat, oral)

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Potassium bromate KBrO3 is the potassium salt of bromic acid.

Properties

Potassium bromate is a white, crystalline powder with a density of 3.27 g/cm3. It has a melting point of 350 ° C. At 370 ° C decomposition with elimination of oxygen. Potassium is soluble in water and practically insoluble in alcohol. Bromate are significantly stronger oxidant than chlorates and react partially already in aqueous solution, thus justifying their opposite chlorates increased toxicity and carcinogenic effect. Mixtures of potassium bromate and flammable substances such as phosphorus or sulfur are highly explosive and friction sensitive. Potassium bromate gives off its oxygen and is reduced to potassium bromide.

Potassium crystallizes in the space group R3m with lattice parameters a = 601.1 pm and c = 815.2 pm. In the unit cell contains three formula units.

Production and representation

The synthesis of potassium is performed by addition of bromine in concentrated hot potassium hydroxide solution. This precipitates the resulting potassium from the solution, while at the same time resulting, more soluble potassium remains in solution.

Use

Potassium bromate is used as an oxidizing agent in volumetric analysis ( bromatometry ) as the primary standard for the determination of arsenic, antimony and tin. It is also used as a single crystal in the piezoelectric.

The use as a food additive has declined by prohibitions. It is still used, for example as flour improvers E924 in USA for improving the baking performance.