Potassium sulfate
- Sulphate of potassium
- Tartarus vitriolatus
- Potassium sulph
- E 515
Colorless crystals or powder
Fixed
2.66 g · cm -3
1069 ° C
1689 ° C
Moderately in water ( 111.1 g · l-1 at 20 ° C and 250 g · l-1 at 100 ° C)
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Potassium sulphate is the potassium salt of the sulfuric acid. It is mainly used as a fertilizer.
History
As first noted the pharmacist and chemist Johann Rudolph Glauber the well-known since the 14th century salt of potassium chloride and sulfuric ago.
Occurrence
Potassium sulfate is found in the form of so -called double salts in various minerals. Examples include the schoenite, Leonit, langbeinite, polyhalite and glaserite.
Representation and extraction
Initially, potassium sulfate from the mineral kainite ( MgSO 4 · KCl · 3 H2O ) was obtained. This production method was soon abandoned in favor of more cost-effective method starting from potassium chloride.
A way in the production of potassium sulfate, the reaction of potassium chloride with sulfuric acid at a temperature of 700 ° C.
Alternatively, potassium sulfate may be represented by a double decomposition reaction with other metal sulfates such as magnesium sulfate:
The so-called Hargreaves method uses for the display of potassium sulfate, the reaction of potassium chloride with a mixture of sulfur dioxide, air and water:
In addition, potassium sulfate is produced as a by-product in the production of nitric acid.
Easier to manufacture potassium sulfate through the reaction of potassium hydroxide and sulfuric acid.
Properties
The anhydrous crystals have orthorhombic symmetry. They are colorless and transparent, very hard and very stable in air. The taste of potassium sulfate is bitter to salty. While it dissolves well in water, insoluble in ethanol.
Use
Potassium sulphate is used for the production of potash alum, potassium silicate, potassium, potash, phlegm gates, synthetic rubber and compound fertilizers. Furthermore, it finds application in the cream of tartar and tartaric acid cleaning and varied use in the dye, explosives and pharmaceutical industries.
Potassium sulphate is used in the food industry as a firming agent, acidity regulator or carrier. In dietetic foods potassium sulfate is used as a cooking salt substitutes. It is in the EU as a food additive number E515 without a maximum limit ( quantum satis ) approved for all food additives approved for.
It is also part of potash fertilizers that come to fertilization chloride - sensitive crops, for example, in the wine used.
Potassium sulfate is the fire classes B and C are used as the active ingredient in extinguishing powders ( usually along with other alkali metal salts such as sodium bicarbonate ).
It is also used as a homoeopathic medicament. As Schuessler salt it is used in applications in all desquamating skin disorders such as eczema and psoriasis.