Potassium ethoxide

• Potassium ethoxide
• Potassium ethoxide

White to yellowish powder

Fixed

0.83 g · cm -3 ( 20 ° C)

260 ° C under anaerobic

Risk

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Potassium ethoxide is a highly flammable, white to yellowish powder.

Production and representation

Potassium ethoxide can be prepared from ethanol and potassium:

Chemical Properties

Potassium ethoxide is only stable under exclusion of moisture. With humidity or water, the compound reacts in a strongly exothermic reaction with the formation of ethanol and potassium hydroxide:

Potassium ethoxide developed the explosive hydrogen gas with aluminum or zinc. Between 90 and 100 ° C, the compound is explosive.

Use

Potassium ethoxide is used, inter alia, to the alkaline degradation of varnish.