Potassium – Properties and Applications

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Chemical Formula

K

Topics Covered

Background
Basic Information
Occurrence
Isotopes
Production of Potassium Element
Health Aspects
Key Properties
Applications

Background

In AD, potassium was first prepared by English chemist Sir Humphrey Davy. Davy melted a small amount of potash, and an passed electric current through it. He discovered that a small liquid droplet of metal had formed. This droplet was the man-made sample of potassium to be prepared. first portion of potassium to be seen by man. Davy named the element after its much older term "potash". Potash is also known as vegetable alkali.

In French chemists Louis-Josef Gay-Lussac and Louis-Jacques Thenard, were also able to prepare potassium by heating a mixture of potassium hydroxide and iron fillings at high temperature.

Basic Information

Table 1 . Basic Properties of Potassium

Symbol

K

Atomic Number

19

Atomic Weight

39. (1)

Standard state

solid at 298 K

CAS reg

-09-7

Colour

silvery white

Classification

Metallic

Melting point

312.46 K (39.31°C or 102.76°F)

Boiling point

961 K (688°C or °F)

Density

1.53 g/cm 3

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Number of Stable Isotopes

2

Ionization Energy

4.341 eV

Oxidation State

+1

Occurrence

Potassium is the 7 8 th most abundant element found the crust of the Earth. Potassium also occurs in different minerals e.g. sylvite, carnallite, langbeinite, and polyhalite.

Isotopes

There is some debate as to how many isotopes of potassium exist, with numbers ranging from 17 to 25. The three naturally occurring isotopes are Potassium-39, Potassium-40 and Potassium-41.

Potassium 40 is of special interest to scientists as it has been proved that nearly everything on earth contains at least a tiny amount of radioactive potassium-40. It is used to measure the age of rocks. In older case the rock s tyheer will be a greater proportion of is old there will be more of argon-40 and less er proportion of potassium-40 , compared to younger rocks where the converse is true and if the rock is younger, it will be vice-versa.

Production of Potassium Element

Potassium compounds can be extracted from the earth as it is found in many solids, soil and seawater. The earliest version known to man was potash, which could be easily obtained by simply burning a tree and gathering potash from the ashes. Potash was also produced from large salt mine blocks that were formed when ancient seas dried up. Significant potassium rich mineral deposits are known to exist in Germany, USA, Canada and Russia.

Commercially, potassium can be produced using two processes ' thermochemical distillation and electrolytic process es.

Health Aspects

One of the three primary nutrients required by plants for growth and good health is potassium.

Potassium has many important roles in the human body as well.

• It helps control the balance of fluids in cells and body fluids in a better manner.
• It enables contraction of muscles and transmission of chemical messages between nerve cells.
• It aids digestion of food and the proper functioning of the eye.
• In most of these, potassium and sodium work together to enable these functions to work properly

Key Properties

Key properties of potassium include:

• Is a soft, silvery-white waxy metal that can be easily cut with a knife
• Density is less than that of water
• Can be melted over a candle flame, as it has very low melting point than many other metals
• It is V very reactive and nefer found in nature in the elemental form
• Reacts with all acids, and all non-metals e.g. nitrogen, fluorine sulfur, chlorine, and phosphorus
• Reacts violently with water
• Must be stored in a non-aqueous - non-oxygen environment s such as naphtha or kerosene as it spontaneously catche s fire upon exposure to water and readily oxidizes when exposed to oxygen
• Flame test produces a lilac color

Applications

Due to its high degree of reactivity, potassium is rarely used in its elemental /metallic form. Some a pplications of potassium compounds include:

• It is used as a powerful reducing agent in organic chemistry.
• Potassium/Sodium alloys are It used as a heat exchange medium . The heat in the potassium warms water and makes it hot enough to boil. Then water is c hang ed into steam, which is used to work devices that generate electricity. To generate electricity and in n uclear reactors.
• It is used to manufacture potassium superoxide (KO 2), which is used to regenerate oxygen (and absorb carbon dioxide) in the air in submarines, mines and space vehicles.

Source: AZoM.com

'Ashes to ashes, potash is made.' Did you know, up to 10% of wood ash can be recovered as potash? Potash is utilized as an agricultural fertilizer because of its excellent source of soluble potassium. Potassium hydroxide is an inorganic compound found in potash. A potent base, potassium hydroxide (KOH) is marketed in several forms, including pellets, flakes, and powders, and is used in various chemical, industrial, and manufacturing applications.

One of the many industries potassium hydroxide benefits is the agriculture industry. The low salt index and high solubility of potassium hydroxide makes it ideal for liquid fertilizer mixtures. Potassium strengthens plant root systems, which fortifies disease resistance in plants, increases yields and overall quality of crops, prevents wilt, and improves drought tolerance of crops.

Origin and Sourcing

Caustic potash was originally derived from wood ashes. Historically, pioneers leached the ashes from their wood fires to harvest potassium carbonate for use in making soap. The term potash (pot-ash) originates from this tradition, referring to the pots and ashes used by the pioneers in the leaching process. When vigorously heated, potassium carbonate gives off carbon dioxide gas, resulting in potassium oxide. Reacting potassium oxide with water then produces potassium hydroxide.

Current Day Production

Potassium Hydroxide is currently manufactured using electrolysis utilizing membrane cell technology. Potassium salt (in the form of brine) is electrolyzed to produce potassium hydroxide, chlorine, and hydrogen.

5 Ways Potassium Hydroxide Benefits the Agriculture Industry

1. Potassium hydroxide is used to produce fertilizers that supply the element potassium (one of the major plant foods) to crops, especially to those crops which cannot tolerate chloride ions. Potassium is one of the 'Big 3' nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium) that provide the foundational nutrients of today's commercial fertilizers.
2. Liquid forms of potassium are used for in-furrow application as a starter fertilizer. These fertilizer forms are manufactured with either potassium chloride (KCI) or potassium hydroxide (KOH). Fertilizers containing potassium hydroxide are safer for seed placement as they form potassium-phosphate compounds that don't contribute to the fertilizer's salt content.
3. It is also used in herbicides and fungicides.
4. As an alkali, potassium hydroxide helps regulate the pH of acidic soils.
5. A mixture of phosphoric acid (non-pesticide compound) and potassium hydroxide is regularly sprayed on plants for pest and disease prevention. This practice leaves harvested crops free of pesticide residue.

Other Industries That Rely on Potassium Hydroxide

• Airline industry for de-icing runways
• Cosmetics
• Pharmaceuticals
• Soaps and Detergent
• The food industry for food additives
• Photography
• The oil industry for drilling and biodiesel production
• Batteries
• Super absorbent polymers.

Noah Chemicals provides critical chemical components and potassium hydroxide and all chemicals necessary to meet the needs of the agriculture industry. To learn more about Noah Chemicals and Noah Chemicals Services experience with the agriculture industry, please contact us here.

If you are looking for more details, kindly visit Potassium diformate in manufacturing and construction applications.