Potassium carbonate

Description

Potassium carbonate (K2CO3) is a commonly used base in organic chemistry. The pKa of its conjugate acid is 10.25. It is commonly used to deprotonate moderately acidic protons such as phenols (pKa ~10) and 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds (pKa ~9-13). Potassium carbonate has high solubility in water (1.12 g/mL, at 20 C), and has low solubility in ethanol, acetone, and many other common organic solvents.

The Uses of Potassium carbonate

Potassium carbonate is used for numerous applications. Its primary use is in the production of specialty glasses and ceramics. It is used to make optical glass, glass used for video screens in televisions and computers, and laboratory glassware. Its is used in certain glasses rather then cheaper sodium carbonate owing to its better compatibility with lead, barium, and strontium oxides incorporated in these glasses. These oxides lower the melting point of glass and produce a softer glass. Potassium carbonate has a higher refractive index than sodium carbonate producing a more brilliant glass. Potassium carbonate is a common flux combined with titanium dioxide to produce frits used in ceramics. A frit is a calcined mixture of fine silica, a pigment, and a flux that is ground a specific particle size and used to produce glazes, enamels, and additives in glass making.
Potassium carbonate is used in agriculture and food production. Potassium carbonate is used as a spray or drip fertilizer and also as a constituent of compound fertilizers. Its high water solubility and alkaline property make it useful for supplying potassium to acidic soils, especially in vineyards and orchards. Dutch-processed cocoa uses potassium carbonate as an alkalizing agent to neutralize the natural acidity of cocoa. It is used to produce food additives like potassium sorbate and monopotassium phosphate.
Potassium carbonate is used in the chemical industry as a source of inorganic potassium salts (potassium silicates, potassium bicarbonate), which are used in fertilizers, soaps, adhesives, dehydrating agents, dyes, and pharmaceuticals. Potassium carbonate used to make potassium lye produces soft soaps, which are liquids or semisolids rather than solids. Other uses of potassium carbonate includes use as a fire suppressant in extinguishers, as a CO2 absorbent for chemical processes and pollution control, an antioxidant in rubber additives, and in pharmaceutical formulations.

Background

Potassium carbonate (K2CO3) is a white salt, soluble in water (insoluble in ethanol) which forms a strongly alkaline solution. It can be made as the product of potassium hydroxide's absorbent reaction with carbon dioxide. It presents a large capacity to absorb moisture.

What are the applications of Application

Potassium carbonate is a potassium salt for deproteinization and as a drying agent

Metabolism

Not Available