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Potassium is a chemical element; it has symbol K (from Neo-Latin kalium) and atomic number 19. It is a silvery white metal that is soft enough to easily cut with a knife. [9] Potassium metal reacts rapidly with atmospheric oxygen to form flaky white potassium peroxide in only seconds of exposure.
It is manufactured by treating an aqueous solution of potassium carbonate or potassium hydroxide with carbon dioxide: [1] K 2 CO 3 + CO 2 + H 2 O → 2 KHCO 3. Decomposition of the bicarbonate occurs between 100 and 120 °C (212 and 248 °F): 2 KHCO 3 → K 2 CO 3 + CO 2 + H 2 O. This reaction is employed to prepare high purity potassium carbonate.
Potassium carbonate, formed from the hydroxide solution leaking from an alkaline battery. Aqueous potassium hydroxide is employed as the electrolyte in alkaline batteries based on nickel-cadmium, nickel-hydrogen, and manganese dioxide-zinc. Potassium hydroxide is preferred over sodium hydroxide because its solutions are more conductive. [20]
Potassium oxide (K 2 O) is an ionic compound of potassium and oxygen. It is a base. This pale yellow solid is the simplest oxide of potassium. It is a highly reactive ...
Potassium hydroxide is used for industrial water treatment and is the precursor of potassium carbonate, several forms of potassium phosphate, many other potassic chemicals, and soap manufacturing. Potassium carbonate is used to produce animal feed supplements, cement , fire extinguishers , food products, photographic chemicals , and textiles.
Potassium carbonate is mainly used in the production of soap and glass. [3] Commonly, it can be found as the result of leakage of alkaline batteries. [4] Potassium carbonate is a potassium salt of carbonic acid. This salt consists of potassium cations K + and carbonate anions CO 2− 3, and is therefore an alkali metal carbonate.
The term/s acid gas and sour gas are often incorrectly treated as synonyms. Strictly speaking, a sour gas is any gas that specifically contains hydrogen sulfide in significant amounts; an acid gas is any gas that contains significant amounts of acidic gases such as carbon dioxide (CO 2) or hydrogen sulfide. Thus, carbon dioxide by itself is an ...
The decomposition of potassium chlorate was also used to provide the oxygen supply for limelights. Potassium chlorate is used also as a pesticide. In Finland it was sold under trade name Fegabit. Potassium chlorate can react with sulfuric acid to form a highly reactive solution of chloric acid and potassium sulfate: 2 KClO 3 + H 2 SO 4 → 2 ...