In this article we will get acquainted with the history of potassium carbonate.Potassium carbonate (K 2 CO 3) is a clear, odorless organic alkaline solution or a white solid chemical compound in the form of granules or crystalline powder.It is also known as potash carbonate and is used in fertilizers, chemical products, heat-resistant glass, soaps, and in the manufacture of other chemical compounds. There are several degrees of potassium carbonate.
Until the eighteenth century, there was no distinction between potassium and sodium. This is because early chemists did not recognize that the mineral alkali (Na 2 CO 3, sodium carbonate from sediments in the ground, and the plant alkali (K 2 CO 3, potassium carbonate) from wood ash. They believed.Before potassium was recognized as an element, potassium carbonate was mixed with animal fats and made into soap. Carbonate is made by extracting wood ash with water before concentration by boiling. Hence the name “potash” for potassium salts.Potassium was isolated in 1807 by Sarhamfrey Davey, who obtained it by electrolysis of a very dry molten potassium hydroxide potassium hydroxide. Potassium was the first metal to be separated by electrolysis.Demand for potassium carbonate began to decline in the late eighteenth century. Because improved methods for the synthesis of sodium carbonate were developed. Sodium carbonate could replace potassium carbonate in many applications.The term potash has had different meanings throughout history. This substance refers to potassium hydroxide (KOH), potassium chloride (KCl), potassium sulfate (K 2 SO 4), potassium nitrate (KNO 3) or a combination of these.Production and delivery of potassium carbonate has a lot of energy. Natural gas and electricity are all significant costs. Delivery costs are also affected by higher costs for railways and diesel fuel for trucks.Burning potash, the main raw material, uses a significant amount of energy to produce potassium carbonate. Potassium carbonate accounts for approximately 22 to 25 percent of caustic potassium intake this is a Benefits and harms of potassium carbonate.
Potassium carbonate has historically been used to make soap and glass. Soaps of this substance are soft and liquid and can better foam in water that contains high concentrations of minerals. Contemporary applications rely on key properties of the compound, including its ability to release heat (exotherm), which makes it useful as a chemical cleaner. Its water-absorbing properties make it popular in the agricultural and health and beauty industries.In addition, potassium carbonate is used to reduce the acidity of wine and is used as a desiccant for fruit processing as well as in the formulation of inks and toners, disinfectants and cleaning products.It is also used to make special glasses such as TV screens, cathode ray tubes and optical lenses. Other uses for this combination include:
– For glaze in making pottery
– In the manufacture of pigments and printing inks
– As an additive in some special food products, such as chocolate
– For tanning, leather and painting and washing
– As a flux in metalworking
– Potassium carbonate is used as a mild desiccant.
– Used in making grass jelly.
– Used in the production of wire or mead using the role of buffer.
– Used to soften hard water.
– Used in welding flux.
– Used as a fire retardant.
1. It is commercially prepared by reacting potassium hydroxide (KOH) with carbon dioxide (CO 2):
2 KOH + CO 2 → K 2 CO 3 + H 2 O
An alternative method to obtain this compound is to treat it with carbon dioxide (CO 2) in the presence of an organic amine which results in potassium bicarbonate and, in most calcination of KHCO 3, potassium carbonate.
2 KHCO 3 → K 2 CO 3 + H 2 O + CO 2
Potassium carbonate is a dry or irritating solution for the eyes, skin and respiratory system. It can cause inflammation of the skin, eyes, throat and stomach. The function of this product is due to its burning properties in aqueous solution, which is produced when dissolved in water or absorbed by moist tissues in the body.