Potassium carbonate

Potassium Carbonate

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Potassium carbonate

Potassium carbonate is a white salt, soluble in water

Water

Water is a common chemical substance that is essential for the survival of all known forms of life. In typical usage, water refers only to its liquid form or States of matter, but the substance also has a solid state, ice, and a gaseous state, water vapor or steam....
(insoluble in alcohol

Alcohol

In chemistry, an alcohol is any organic compound in which a hydroxyl Functional group is bound to a carbon atom of an alkyl or substituted alkyl group....
), which forms a strongly alkaline solution. It can be made as the product of potassium hydroxide

Potassium hydroxide

Potassium hydroxide is the inorganic compound with the formula potassiumhydroxide. Along with sodium hydroxide, this colourless solid is a prototypical "strong base"....
's absorbent reaction with carbon dioxide

Carbon dioxide

Carbon dioxide is a chemical compound composed of two oxygen atoms covalent bond to a single carbon atom. It is a gas at standard temperature and pressure and exists in Earth's atmosphere in this state....
. It is deliquescent, often appearing a damp or wet solid

Solid

A solid object is in the states of matter characterized by resistance to deformation and changes of volume. In other words, it has high values both of Young's modulus and of shear modulus; this contrasts e.g....
. Potassium carbonate is used in the production of soap

SOAP

SOAP, originally defined as Simple Object Access Protocol, is a protocol specification for exchanging structured information in the implementation of Web Services in computer networks....
and glass

Glass

Glass generally refers to a Hardness, brittle, transparency amorphous solid, such as that used for windows, many Glass Bottles, or eyewear, including, but not limited to, soda-lime glass, borosilicate glass, acrylic glass, sugar glass, Muscovite , or aluminium oxynitride....
.

ssium carbonate was first identified in 1742 by Antonio Campanella and is the primary component of potash

Potash

Potash is the common name given to potassium carbonate and various mined and manufactured salts that contain the element potassium in water-soluble form....
and the more refined pearlash or salts of tartar.

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History

Potassium carbonate was first identified in 1742 by Antonio Campanella and is the primary component of potash

Potash

Potash is the common name given to potassium carbonate and various mined and manufactured salts that contain the element potassium in water-soluble form....
in a kiln

Kiln

Kilns are thermally insulated chambers, or ovens, in which controlled temperature regimes are produced. They are used to harden, burn or dry materials....
to remove impurities. The fine white powder remaining was the pearlash. The first patent

Patent

A patent is a set of exclusive rights granted by a state to an inventor or his assignee for a term of patent in exchange for a disclosure of an invention....
issued by the U.S. Patent Office

United States Patent and Trademark Office

The United States Patent and Trademark Office is an agency in the United States Department of Commerce that issues patents to inventors and businesses for their inventions, and trademark registration for product and intellectual property identification....
was awarded to Samuel Hopkins

Samuel Hopkins (inventor)

Samuel Hopkins was an United States inventor from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Pittsford, Vermont. On July 31, 1790 he was granted the first U.S....
in 1790 for an improved method of making potash and pearlash.

In late 18th century North America

North America

North America is the northern continent of the Americas, situated in the Earth's northern hemisphere and almost totally in the western hemisphere....
, before the development of baking powder

Baking powder

Baking powder is a dry chemical leavening agent used to increase the volume and lighten the texture of baked goods such as muffins, cakes, and cookies ....
, pearl ash was used as a leavening agent

Leavening agent

A leavening agent is any one of a number of substances used in doughs and batter that cause a foaming action which lightens and softens the finished product....
in "quick breads"

Bread

Bread is a staple food prepared by baking a dough of flour and water. It may be leavened or unleavened. Edible salt, fat and a leavening agent such as yeast are common ingredients, though bread may contain a range of other ingredients: milk, Egg , sugar, spice, fruit , vegetables , Nut or seeds ....
.

Other terms for potassium carbonate:

Carbonate of potash
Dipotassium carbonate
Dipotassium salt
Pearl ash
Potash
Potash

Potash is the common name given to potassium carbonate and various mined and manufactured salts that contain the element potassium in water-soluble form....
Salt of tartar
Salt of wormwood

Production

Today potassium carbonate is prepared commercially by the electrolysis

Electrolysis

In chemistry and manufacturing, electrolysis is a method of separating Chemical bond chemical compound by passing an electric current through them....
of potassium chloride

Potassium chloride

The chemical compound potassium chloride 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....
. The resulting potassium hydroxide

Potassium hydroxide

Carbon dioxide

Carbon dioxide is a chemical compound composed of two oxygen atoms covalent bond to a single carbon atom. It is a gas at standard temperature and pressure and exists in Earth's atmosphere in this state....
to form potassium carbonate, which is often used to produce other .

2KOH + CO₂ → K₂CO₃ + H₂O

Applications

Pearl ash has been used for soap

SOAP

Glass

Dishware

Dishware is the general term for the dishes used in serving, and eating food, including plate s and bowls. Dinnerware is a synonym, especially meaning a set of dishes, including serving pieces....
production.

Pearlash added to hard water will soften the water.

In the laboratory, it may be used as a mild drying agent

Desiccant

A desiccant is a hygroscopic substance that induces or sustains a state of dryness in its local vicinity in a moderately-well sealed container.Commonly encountered pre-packaged desiccants are solids, and work through absorption or adsorption of water, or a combination of the two....
where other drying agents such as calcium chloride

Calcium chloride

Calcium chloride, CaCl2, is a common Salt . It behaves as a typical ionic halide, and is solid at room temperature. It has several common applications such as brine for refrigeration plants, ice and dust control on roads, and in concrete....
may be incompatible. However, it is not suitable for acidic compounds.

Mixed with water it causes an exothermic reaction

Exothermic reaction

An exothermic reaction is a chemical reaction that releases energy in the form of heat. It is the opposite of an endothermic reaction. Expressed in a chemical equation:...
that results in a temperature change, producing heat.

It is mixed with distilled water to make a safer electrolyte for oxyhdrogen production than potassium hydroxide, the more commonly used electrolyte.

In cuisine, it is used as an ingredient in the production of grass jelly

Grass jelly

Grass jelly, or Leaf jelly , is a jelly-like dessert found in China, Taiwan and Southeast Asia. It is sold in cans or packets in Asian supermarkets....
, a food consumed in Chinese and Southeast Asian cuisines.

Potassium carbonate is being used as the electrolyte

Electrolyte

An electrolyte is any substance containing free ions that behaves as an electrical conductor medium. Because they generally consist of ions in solution, electrolytes are also known as ionic solutions, but molten electrolytes and solid electrolytes are also possible....
in many cold fusion

Cold fusion

Cold fusion refers to nuclear fusion which occurs without the extremely high temperatures required for thermonuclear fusion – for example, muon-catalysed fusion....
experiments.

Potassium carbonate is sometimes used as a buffering agent

Buffering agent

A buffering agent adjusts the pH of a solution. The function of a buffering agent is to drive an acidic or basic solution to a certain pH state and prevent a change in this pH....
in the production of mead

Mead

Mead is a typically alcoholic beverage beverage, made from honey and water via Fermentation with yeast. Its alcoholic content may range from that of a mild ale to that of a strong wine....
or wine

Wine

Wine is an alcoholic beverage often made of fermentation grape juice. The natural chemical balance of grapes is such that they can ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes or other nutrients....
.

Aqueous potassium carbonate is also used as a fire suppressant in extinguishing deep fat fryers and various other B class related fires.

Potassium carbonate is used in reactions to maintain anhydrous conditions without reacting with the reactants and product formed. It may also be used to pre-dry some ketones, alcohols, and amines prior to distillation.

Bibliography

A Dictionary of Science, Oxford University Press

Oxford University Press

Oxford University Press is a publisher and a department of the University of Oxford in England. It is the largest university press in the world, being larger than all the American university presses combined with Cambridge University Press....
Inc.

Inc.

Inc. may refer to:* Incorporation , the forming of a new corporation* Inc. , an American business magazine* Incoming* Include, included, or including...
, New York 2003

Potassium carbonate

History

Production

Applications

Bibliography

External links