Description | Potassium sulfate (K2SO4) is a kind of chemical compounds that is commonly used in agriculture. The dominant application of potassium sulfate is as a fertilizer, which is commonly applied to offer both potassium and sulfur, thus improving the quality and yield of crops growing in soils that lack an adequate supply of this essential elements. Besides, the crude potassium sulfate is sometimes employed in the production of glass. It also has applications in other industries, which is used as a flash reducer in artillery propellant charges and as an alternative blast media similar to soda in the process of soda blasting.
potassium sulfate powder |
Chemical Properties | Potassium sulfate,K2804, also known as salt of Lemery and arcanite, is a colorless crystalline solid that melts at 1072°C(1960 OF). It is soluble in water,but insoluble in alcohol. Potassium sulfate is used in manufacturing glass, aluminum, fertilizers, and in medicine. |
Chemical Properties | Potassium sulfate, sulfate of potash, K2SO4, white solid, soluble. Common constituent of potassium salt minerals. |
Physical properties | Colorless or white crystals or white granules or powder; rhombohedral structure; bitter taste; density 2.66 g/cm3; melts at 1,069°C; vaporizes at 1,689°C; moderately soluble in water, 12 g/100mL at 25°C and 24g/100mL at 100°C; slightly soluble in glycerol; insoluble in alcohol, acetone, and carbon disulfide. |
Occurrence | Potassium and sodium sulfates and their double sulfates with calcium and magnesium occur naturally in various salt lakes. Potassium sulfate also occurs in certain volcanic lava. Its double salt with magnesium occurs in nature, as the mineral langbeinite. Potassium sulfate is used in fertilizers as a source of potassium and sulfur, both of which are essential elements for plant growth. Either in sim-ple form or as a double salt with magnesium sulfate, potassium sulfate is one of the most widely consumed potassium salts in agricultural applications. It is preferred over potassium chloride for certain types of crops; such as, tobac-co, citrus, and other chloride-sensitive crops. Some other applications include making gypsum cements; to make potassium alum; in the analysis of Kjeldahl nitrogen; and in medicine. |
Uses | Technical grades are used in fertilizers for manufacture of potassium alum, potassium carbonate and glass; the reagent grade is used in the Kjeldahl determination of nitrogen. |
Uses | potassium sulfate is a reagent in cosmetics. Potassium sulfate is an inorganic salt with a primary function as a viscosity-increasing agent. |
Uses | Potassium Sulfate is a flavoring agent that occurs naturally, consisting of colorless or white crystals or crystalline powder having a bitter, saline taste. it is prepared by the neutralization of sulfuric acid with potassium hydroxide or potassium carbonate. |
Definition | Potassium sulfate is a potassium salt and an inorganic potassium salt. It is a white crystalline powder, K2SO4, soluble inwater and insoluble in ethanol;rhombic or hexagonal; r.d. 2.66; m.p.1069°C. It occurs naturally assch nite (Strassfurt deposits) and inlake brines, from which it is separatedby fractional crystallization. Ithas also been produced by the Hargreavesprocess, which involves theoxidation of potassium chloride withsulphuric acid. In the laboratory itmay be obtained by the reaction ofeither potassium hydroxide or potassiumcarbonate with sulphuric acid.Potassium sulphate is used in cements,in glass manufacture, as a food additive, and as a fertilizer(source of K+) for chloride-sensitiveplants, such as tobacco and citrus. |