NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Potassium chloride

The chemical compound potassium chloride (KCl) is a metal halide salt composed of potassium and chlorine. In its pure state it is odorless. It has a white or colorless vitreous crystal, with a crystal structure that cleaves easily in three directions. Potassium chloride crystals are face-centered cubic. Potassium chloride is also commonly known as "Muriate of Potash". Potash varies in color from pink or red to white depending on the mining and recovery process used. White potash, sometimes referred to as soluble potash, is usually higher in analysis and is used primarily for making liquid starter fertilizers. KCl is used in medicine, scientific applications, food processing and in judicial execution through lethal injection. It occurs naturally as the mineral sylvite and in combination with sodium chloride as sylvinite. This article is about the toxicological term. ... This article is about the electrically charged particle. ... R-phrases 23/24/25 S-phrases 26-45 Except where noted otherwise, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 Â°C, 100 kPa) Infobox disclaimer and references Potassium fluoride is the chemical compound with the formula KF. After hydrogen fluoride, KF is the primary source of... Potassium bromide (KBr) is a salt, used as an anticonvulsant and a sedative in the 1800s. ... R-phrases 36, 38, 42-43, 61 S-phrases 26, 36-37, 39, 45 Related Compounds Other anions potassium bromide potassium chloride Other cations lithium iodide sodium iodide rubidium iodide caesium iodide Except where noted otherwise, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 Â°C, 100 kPa... This article is about the electrically charged particle. ... R-phrases 36 S-phrases none Flash point Non-flammable Related Compounds Other anions NaF, NaBr, NaI Other cations LiCl, KCl, RbCl, CsCl, MgCl2, CaCl2 Related salts Sodium acetate Supplementary data page Structure and properties n, Îµr, etc. ... Rubidium(I) chloride is an ionic compound. ... The plimsoll symbol as used in shipping In chemistry, the standard state of a material is its state at 1 bar (100 kilopascals exactly). ... Look up chemical compound in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... A halide is a binary compound, of which one part is a halogen atom and the other part is an element or radical that is less electronegative than the halogen, to make a fluoride, chloride, bromide, iodide, or astatide compound. ... This article is about the term salt as referred to in chemistry. ... General Name, symbol, number potassium, K, 19 Chemical series alkali metals Group, period, block 1, 4, s Appearance silvery white Standard atomic weight 39. ... General Name, symbol, number chlorine, Cl, 17 Chemical series nonmetals Group, period, block 17, 3, p Appearance yellowish green Standard atomic weight 35. ... Vitreous refers to a material in an amorphous, glassy state (in contrast to a crystalline state). ... Enargite crystals In mineralogy and crystallography, a crystal structure is a unique arrangement of atoms in a crystal. ... Potash Potash (or carbonate of potash) is an impure form of potassium carbonate (K2CO3). ... Various preserved foods Food preservation is the process of treating and handling food in such a way as to stop or greatly slow down spoilage to prevent foodborne illness while maintaining nutritional value, density, texture and flavor. ... Death Penalty World Map Color Key: Blue: Abolished for all crimes Green: Abolished for crimes not committed in exceptional circumstances (such as crimes committed in time of war) Orange: Abolished in Practice Red: Legal Form of Punishment Execution of a soldier of the 8th Infantry at Prescott, Arizona, 1877 Execution... This article is about the execution and euthanasia method. ... For other uses, see Mineral (disambiguation). ... Sylvite is potassium chloride (KCl) in natural mineral form. ... R-phrases 36 S-phrases none Flash point Non-flammable Related Compounds Other anions NaF, NaBr, NaI Other cations LiCl, KCl, RbCl, CsCl, MgCl2, CaCl2 Related salts Sodium acetate Supplementary data page Structure and properties n, Îµr, etc. ... Sylvinite is the most important ore for the production of potash in North America. ...

Chemical properties

Potassium chloride can react as a source of chloride ion. As with any other soluble ionic chloride, it will precipitate insoluble chloride salts when added to a solution of an appropriate metal ion: The chloride ion is formed when the element chlorine picks up one electron to form an anion (negatively-charged ion) Clâˆ’. The salts of hydrochloric acid HCl contain chloride ions and can also be called chlorides. ... This article is about the electrically charged particle. ... Solubility is a chemical property referring to the ability for a given substance, the solute, to dissolve in a solvent. ... This article is about common table salt. ... This article is about metallic materials. ...

Although potassium is more electropositive than sodium, KCl can be reduced to the metal by reaction with metallic sodium at 850 °C because the potassium is removed by distillation (see Le Chatelier's principle): Drinking water This article focuses on water as we experience it every day. ... R-phrases , S-phrases , , , , Flash point non-flammable Supplementary data page Structure and properties n, Îµr, etc. ... Silver chloride (also called silver(I) chloride) is a chemical compound with chemical formula AgCl. ... This box: For other uses, see Solid (disambiguation). ... R-phrases S-phrases Supplementary data page Structure and properties n, Îµr, etc. ... For sodium in the diet, see Salt. ... For sodium in the diet, see Salt. ... In chemistry, Le Chateliers principle, also called the Le Chatelier-Braun principle, can be used to predict the effect of a change in conditions on a chemical equilibrium. ...

This method is the main method for producing metallic potassium. Electrolysis (used for sodium) fails because of the high solubility of potassium in molten KCl. General Name, symbol, number potassium, K, 19 Chemical series alkali metals Group, period, block 1, 4, s Appearance silvery white Standard atomic weight 39. ... In chemistry and manufacturing, electrolysis is a method of separating chemically bonded elements and compounds by passing an electric current through them. ... For sodium in the diet, see Salt. ...

As with other compounds containing potassium, KCl in powdered form gives a lilac flame test result. The flame test carried out on a copper halide. ...

Manufacture/Extraction

Potassium chloride occurs naturally as sylvite, and it can be extracted from sylvinite. It is also extracted from salt water and can be manufactured by crystallization from solution, flotation or electrostatic separation from suitable minerals. It is a by-product of the making of nitric acid from potassium nitrate and hydrochloric acid. Sylvite is potassium chloride (KCl) in natural mineral form. ... Sylvinite is the most important ore for the production of potash in North America. ... For the sports equipment manufacturer, see Brine, Corp. ... Making a saline water solution by dissolving table salt (NaCl) in water This article is about chemical solutions. ... The Flotation process is a method for the separation of mixtures. ... Electrostatics is the branch of physics that deals with the force exerted by a static (i. ... The chemical compound nitric acid (HNO3), also known as aqua fortis and spirit of nitre, is an aqueous solution of hydrogen nitrate (anhydrous nitric acid). ... R-phrases S-phrases Supplementary data page Structure and properties n, Îµr, etc. ... Hydrochloric acid is the aqueous solution of hydrogen chloride gas (HCl). ...

Uses

The majority of the potassium chloride produced is used for making fertilizer, since the growth of many plants is limited by their potassium intake. As a chemical feedstock it is used for the manufacture of potassium hydroxide and potassium metal. It is also used in medicine, scientific applications, food processing, and as a sodium-free substitute for table salt (sodium chloride). Potassium chloride is also used as the third of a three drug combination in judicial execution through lethal injection. It is sometimes used in water as a completion fluid in oil and gas operations. Also, as an alternative to sodium chloride in household water softener units. KCl is useful as a beta radiation source for calibration of radiation monitoring equipment because natural potassium contains 0.0118% of the isotope ⁴⁰K. One kilogram of KCl yields 16350 becquerels of radiation consisting of 89.28% beta and 10.72% gamma with 1.46083 MeV. Potassium chloride makes up 70% of Ace Hardware's allegedly pet and vegetarian friendly "Ice Melt" though inferior in melting quality to calcium chloride (0°F v. -25°F). It is also used in Dasani water. It is also used in bulk quantities for oil drilling purposes. Spreading manure, an organic fertilizer Fertilizers (also spelled fertilisers) are compounds given to plants to promote growth; they are usually applied either through the soil, for uptake by plant roots, or by foliar feeding, for uptake through leaves. ... The chemical compound potassium hydroxide, (KOH) sometimes known as caustic potash, potassa, potash lye, and potassium hydrate, is a metallic base. ... General Name, symbol, number potassium, K, 19 Chemical series alkali metals Group, period, block 1, 4, s Appearance silvery white Standard atomic weight 39. ... For the chemical substances known as medicines, see medication. ... A magnet levitating above a high-temperature superconductor demonstrates the Meissner effect. ... Various preserved foods Food preservation is the process of treating and handling food in such a way as to stop or greatly slow down spoilage to prevent foodborne illness while maintaining nutritional value, density, texture and flavor. ... Edible salt is mostly sodium chloride (NaCl). ... R-phrases 36 S-phrases none Flash point Non-flammable Related Compounds Other anions NaF, NaBr, NaI Other cations LiCl, KCl, RbCl, CsCl, MgCl2, CaCl2 Related salts Sodium acetate Supplementary data page Structure and properties n, Îµr, etc. ... The judiciary, also referred to as the judicature, consists of justices, judges and magistrates among other types of adjudicators. ... Death Penalty World Map Color Key: Blue: Abolished for all crimes Green: Abolished for crimes not committed in exceptional circumstances (such as crimes committed in time of war) Orange: Abolished in Practice Red: Legal Form of Punishment Execution of a soldier of the 8th Infantry at Prescott, Arizona, 1877 Execution... This article is about the execution and euthanasia method. ... R-phrases 36 S-phrases none Flash point Non-flammable Related Compounds Other anions NaF, NaBr, NaI Other cations LiCl, KCl, RbCl, CsCl, MgCl2, CaCl2 Related salts Sodium acetate Supplementary data page Structure and properties n, Îµr, etc. ... A water softener reduces calcium or magnesium concentration in hard water. ... Beta particles are high-energy electrons emitted by certain types of radioactive nuclei such as potassium-40. ... For other uses, see Becquerel (disambiguation). ... This article is about electromagnetic radiation. ... A mural advertisement for Arrow Ace Hardware in St. ... Dasani (pronounced ) is a popular brand of bottled water from the Coca-Cola company, launched in 1999, after the success of Aquafina (produced by Coca-Cola-rival PepsiCo). ...

Biological and medical properties

Potassium is vital in the human body and oral potassium chloride is the common means to replenish it, although it can also be diluted and given intravenously (of course, in concentrations much lower than those used in executions). It can be used as a salt substitute for food, but due to its weak, bitter, unsalty flavor, it is usually mixed with regular salt, sodium chloride, for this purpose to improve the taste (for example, in Morton Lite Salt^[2]). Medically it is used in the treatment of hypokalemia and associated conditions, for digitalis poisoning, and as an electrolyte replenisher. Brand names include K-Dur, Klor-Con, Micro-K, and Kaon Cl. Side effects can include gastrointestinal discomfort including nausea and vomiting, diarrhea and bleeding of the digestive tract. Overdoses cause hyperkalemia which can lead to paresthesia, cardiac conduction blocks, fibrillation, arrhythmias, and sclerosis. This article is about modern humans. ... With regard to living things, a body is the integral physical material of an individual. ... Intravenous therapy or IV therapy is the giving of liquid substances directly into a vein. ... Edible salt is mostly sodium chloride (NaCl). ... R-phrases 36 S-phrases none Flash point Non-flammable Related Compounds Other anions NaF, NaBr, NaI Other cations LiCl, KCl, RbCl, CsCl, MgCl2, CaCl2 Related salts Sodium acetate Supplementary data page Structure and properties n, Îµr, etc. ... Hypokalemia is a potentially fatal condition in which the body fails to retain sufficient potassium to maintain health. ... Species About 20 species, including: Digitalis cariensis Digitalis ciliata Digitalis davisiana Digitalis dubia Digitalis ferruginea Digitalis grandiflora Digitalis laevigata Digitalis lanata Digitalis leucophaea Digitalis lutea Digitalis obscura Digitalis parviflora Digitalis purpurea Digitalis thapsi Digitalis trojana Digitalis viridiflora Digitalis is a genus of about 20 species of herbaceous perennials, shrubs, and... For other uses, see Poison (disambiguation). ... An electrolyte is any substance containing free ions that behaves as an electrically conductive medium. ... Gut redirects here. ... For other uses, see Nausea (disambiguation). ... Heaving redirects here. ... In medicine, diarrhea, also spelled diarrhoea (see spelling differences), refers to frequent loose or liquid bowel movements. ... For other uses, see Bleeding (disambiguation). ... Hyperkalemia is an elevated blood level (above 5. ... Paresthesia or paraesthesia (in British English) is a sensation of tingling, pricking, or numbness of a persons skin with no apparent long-term physical effect, more generally known as the feeling of pins and needles or of a limb being asleep (but not directly related to the phenomenon of... The heart and lungs, from an older edition of Grays Anatomy. ... Fibrillation is the rapid, irregular, and unsynchronized contraction of the muscle fibers of the heart. ... Cardiac arrhythmia is any of a group of conditions in which the electrical activity of the heart is irregular or is faster or slower than normal. ... Sclerosis or sclerotization is a hardening of tissue and other anatomical features amyotrophic lateral sclerosis sometimes known as Lou Gehrigs disease, a progressive, incurable, usually fatal disease of motor neurons. ...

Dr. Jack Kevorkian's thanatron machine injected a lethal dose of potassium chloride into the patient, which caused the heart to stop functioning, after a sodium thiopental-induced coma was achieved. A similar device, the German 'Perfusor', also uses potassium chloride as a suicide aid.^[3] Jack Kevorkian during his public appearance in January 2008 Jack Kevorkian (pronounced [1]) (born on May 26, 1928 [2]) is an American pathologist. ... The Thanatron, or death machine, (see Thanatos) was a device created by Dr. Jack Kevorkian to aid in the euthanasia of his patients. ... Sodium thiopental, better known as Sodium Pentothal (a trademark of Abbott Laboratories), thiopental, thiopentone sodium, or trapanal, is a rapid-onset short-acting barbiturate general anaesthetic. ...

Physical properties

Potassium chloride has a crystalline structure like many other salts. Structure: face-centered cubic. Lattice Constant: roughly 6.3 angstroms.

In chemistry and physics it is a very commonly used as a standard, for example as a calibration standard solution in measuring electrical conductivity of (ionic) solutions, since carefully prepared KCl solutions have well-reproducible and well-repeatable measurable properties. Not to be confused with electrical conductance, a measure of an objects or circuits ability to conduct an electric current between two points, which is dependent on the electrical conductivity and the geometric dimensions of the conducting object. ...

This article is about the properties of water. ... For other uses, see Ammonia (disambiguation). ... Sulfur dioxide (or Sulphur dioxide) has the chemical formula SO2. ... Methanol, also known as methyl alcohol, carbinol, wood alcohol, wood naphtha or wood spirits, is a chemical compound with chemical formula CH3OH (often abbreviated MeOH). ... Formic acid (systematically called methanoic acid) is the simplest carboxylic acid. ... Sulfolane (also tetramethylene sulfone, systematic name: 2,3,4,5-tetrahydrothiophene-1,1-dioxide) is a clear, colorless liquid commonly used in the chemical industry as an extractive distillation solvent or reaction solvent. ... Acetonitrile is an organic molecule, often used as a solvent, with the chemical formula of CH3CN. Also known as methyl cyanide, it is the simplest of the organic nitriles. ... For other uses, see Acetone (disambiguation). ... Formamide, also known as Methanamide (IUPAC) and Carbamaldehyde, formula HCONH2 is an amide derived from formic acid. ... acetamide Acetamide (or Acetic acid amide or ÐÑ†ÐµÑ‚Ð°Ð¼Ð¸Ð´) CH3CONH2, the amide of acetic acid, is a white crystalline solid in pure form. ... Dimethylformamide is the organic compound with the formula (CH3)2NC(O)H. Commonly abbreviated DMF, this colourless liquid is miscible with water and majority of organic liquids. ...

Precautions

Orally it is toxic in excess; the LD₅₀ is around 2500 mg/kg (meaning that a person weighing 75 kg (165 lb) would have to consume about 190 g (6.7 oz); regular salt is about as toxic). Intravenously this is reduced to just over 100 mg/kg but of more concern are its severe effects on cardiac muscles; high doses can cause cardiac arrest and rapid death. A massive overdose of intravenous potassium chloride is used to stop the heart in execution by lethal injection. An LD50 test being administered In toxicology, the LD50 or colloquially semilethal dose of a particular substance is a measure of how much constitutes a lethal dose. ... Edible salt is mostly sodium chloride (NaCl). ... For other uses of Muscle, see Muscle (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Death (disambiguation). ... This article is about the execution and euthanasia method. ...

References

2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 115th day of the year (116th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The Times is a national newspaper published daily in the United Kingdom (and the Kingdom of Great Britain before the United Kingdom existed) since 1788 when it was known as The Daily Universal Register. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 88th day of the year (89th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 115th day of the year (116th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...