Potassium chloride is a white or colorless crystalline salt composed of potassium and chlorine. It is odorless, has a salty taste, and is highly soluble in water. It naturally occurs in minerals such as sylvite and is widely used due to its chemical stability and bioavailability.
🏭⚗️ Production
Potassium chloride is primarily obtained by mining potassium-rich minerals such as sylvite and carnallite. It can also be extracted from ancient evaporated lake deposits or produced as a by-product during salt production.
🔬Properties
Potassium chloride has a face-centered cubic crystal structure, similar to sodium chloride. It is highly soluble in water and gives off a characteristic lilac flame when burned. It transmits infrared light efficiently and has good optical clarity in the 210 nm to 20 µm range. Its refractive index is approximately 1.456 at 10 µm, and it has low thermal conductivity. Potassium chloride can be thermally reduced by sodium at high temperatures to produce potassium metal.
🧪 Applications
Potassium chloride is commonly used as a fertilizer in agriculture, often referred to as muriate of potash, to provide essential potassium for plant growth. In medicine, it is used to treat or prevent low blood potassium levels (hypokalemia) and is available in oral or intravenous forms. It is also used as a salt substitute in low-sodium diets. Industrially, it is applied in the manufacturing of potassium hydroxide and potassium metal, water softening systems, glass production, and welding fluxes. Additionally, it is used in animal feed, de-icing products, and as part of lethal injection protocols.
