High-Purity Solvents, Water Treatments

Potassium Chloride

Potassium chloride is a metal halide salt composed of potassium and chlorine, appearing as a white crystalline or colorless vitreous solid. Known by its CAS registry number 7447-40-7, it is highly soluble in water and exhibits a salt-like flavor. This inorganic compound occurs naturally as the mineral sylvite and is a fundamental component of potash. In biological systems, it serves as an essential electrolyte, crucial for maintaining osmotic pressure, nerve impulse transmission, and muscle function across various organisms. In industrial settings, it is primarily utilized as a precursor for other potassium compounds and as a primary ingredient in agricultural fertilizers to provide plants with vital potassium nutrients. Its chemical stability and non-flammable nature make it a versatile material for laboratories and manufacturing plants globally. Beyond agriculture, it finds significant usage in food processing as a sodium substitute, pharmaceutical formulations for electrolyte replenishment, and in various industrial processes involving water softening.

Attributes

Key Features and Benefits

High solubility in water facilitates rapid absorption in soil.
Non-toxic and safe for food-grade additive applications.
Excellent chemical stability under standard environmental storage conditions.
Provides high-purity potassium source for specialized industrial syntheses.
Cost-effective solution for large-scale agricultural nutrient management programs.
Odorless crystalline structure allows for easy handling and mixing.
Effectively replaces sodium in dietetic food products for health.
Acts as a reliable flux in metallurgy for refining processes.
High dielectric strength useful in specific electrochemical applications.
Readily available in various grades from technical to pharmaceutical.
Supports cellular homeostasis and electrical potential in medical use cases.
Increases overall plant drought resistance.

Specifications

Technical Highlights

Molecular weight is approximately 74.55 grams per mole.
Melting point reaches approximately 770 degrees Celsius.
Boiling point starts at roughly 1420 degrees Celsius.
Specific gravity is measured at 1.98 for solid form.
Highly ionic character ensures significant conductivity in aqueous solutions.
Refractive index typically sits around 1.49 for crystalline solids.
pH levels are neutral when dissolved in purified water.
Crystalline structure belongs to the face-centered cubic system.
Low moisture absorption prevents clumping during bulk storage cycles.
Compatible with most standard fertilizers and industrial chemical reagents.
Exhibits high purity levels across analytical grade specifications for precision laboratory testing and scientific research.

Download Technical Data Sheet (TDS)

Practical industry uses

Applications

Used as potash fertilizer to boost agricultural crop yields.
Essential component in oral rehydration salts and intravenous fluids.
Primary additive for water softeners to remove hard ions.
Serves as a sodium-free flavor enhancer in food production.
Utilized in petroleum drilling as a completion fluid additive.
Applied in aluminum smelting as a flux for purification.
Important reagent for the manufacturing of potassium hydroxide.
Used in laboratories for calibration of conductivity measuring devices.
Component in fire extinguishers for specialized chemical fires.
Employed in household ice-melting products for winter road safety.
Key ingredient in pharmaceutical electrolyte supplements targeting patients with severe potassium deficiencies.