| Chemical Properties | Colorless, transparent crystals; odorless. Soluble in water. |
| Chemical Properties | The anhydrous salt, mol wt 166.22, is obtained when the monohydrate is dehydrated at 160 °C. The monohydrate is preferred as a reagent in analytical chemistry and in miscellaneous uses principally because of its high solubility as compared with other simple neutral oxalates. |
| Uses | Potassium oxalate is a white crystal or powder made by neutralizing oxalic acid with potassium carbonate. It is soluble in water 1:3 but not in alcohol. Potassium oxalate was used as an early developer for gelatin plates but is best known as the developer for platinum prints. |
| Uses | Cleaning and bleaching straw, removing stains in photography; in vitro blood anticoagulant; also in analytical chemistry. |
| General Description | Potassium oxalate, K2C204, H20, is odorless, efforescent, water-soluble, colorless crystals that decompose when heated. Sinks in and mixes slowly with water. Used in analytical chemistry and photography, and as a bleach and oxalic acid source. |
| Air & Water Reactions | Water soluble. |
| Reactivity Profile | Potassium oxalate gives basic aqueous solutions. Reacts as a base to neutralize acids in reactions that generate heat, but less than is generated by neutralization of the bases in reactivity group 10. Can serve as a reducing agent in reactions that generate carbon dioxide. |
| Hazard | Toxic by inhalation and ingestion. |
| Health Hazard | Inhalation of dust can cause systemic poisoning. Ingestion causes burning pain in throat, esophagus, and stomach; exposed areas of mucous membrane turn white; vomiting, severe purging, weak pulse, and cardiovascular collapse may result; if death is delayed, neuromuscular symptoms develop. Contact with eyes or skin causes irritation. |
| Fire Hazard | Behavior in Fire: Loses water at about 160° and decomposes to carbonate with no charring. The reaction is not hazardous. |
| Flammability and Explosibility | Not classified |
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