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Potassium nitrate



 
 
Potassium nitrate is a chemical compound
Chemical compound

A chemical compound is a Chemical substance consisting of two or more different chemical element Chemical bond together in a fixed mass ratio that can be split into simpler substances....
 with the chemical formula
Chemical formula

A chemical formula is a way of expressing information about the atoms that constitute a particular chemical compound, and how the relationship between those atoms changes in chemical reactions....
 K
Potassium

Potassium is a chemical element. It has the symbol K , atomic number 19, and atomic mass 39.0983. Potassium was first isolated from potash, hence the name....
N
Nitrogen

Nitrogen is a chemical element that has the symbol N and atomic number 7 and atomic mass 14.00674?. Elemental nitrogen is a colorless, odorless, tasteless and mostly inert diatomic gas at standard conditions, constituting 78% by volume of Earth's atmosphere....
O
Oxygen

Oxygen no O2 produced; 2) O2 produced, but absorbed in oceans & seabed rock; 3) O2 starts to gas out of the oceans, but is absorbed by land surfaces and formation of ozone layer; 4-5) O2 sinks filled and the gas accumulates]]...
3. A naturally occurring mineral source of nitrogen
Nitrogen

Nitrogen is a chemical element that has the symbol N and atomic number 7 and atomic mass 14.00674?. Elemental nitrogen is a colorless, odorless, tasteless and mostly inert diatomic gas at standard conditions, constituting 78% by volume of Earth's atmosphere....
, KNO3 constitutes a critical oxidising component of black powder/gunpowder
Gunpowder

Gunpowder, also called black powder, is an explosive mixture of sulfur, charcoal and potassium nitrate, KNO3 that burns rapidly, producing volumes of hot solids and gases which can be used as a propellant in firearms and as a pyrotechnic composition in fireworks....
. In the past it was also used for several kinds of burning fuses, including slow match
Slow match

Slow match or match cord is the very slow burning cord or twine Fuse used by early gunpowder musketeers, artillerymen, and soldiers to ignite matchlock muskets, cannons, and petards....
es. Because potassium nitrate readily precipitates, urine
Urine

Urine is a liquid waste product of the body secreted by the kidneys by a process of filtration from blood called urination and excreted through the urethra....
 was a significant source, through various means, from the Late Middle Ages
Late Middle Ages

The Late Middle Ages is a term used by historians to describe history of Europe in the periodization of the 14th and 15th centuries . The Late Middle Ages were preceded by the High Middle Ages, and followed by the Early modern Europe ....
 and Early Modern era through the 19th century.

Its common names include saltpetre, from Medieval Latin sal petrae: "stone salt" or possibly "Salt of Petra
Petra

Petra is an Archaeology site in the Arabah, Ma'an Governorate, Jordan, lying on the slope of Mount Hor in a Depression among the mountains which form the eastern flank of Arabah , the large valley running from the Dead Sea to the Gulf of Aqaba....
" (saltpeter in US English), nitrate of potash, and nitre (US niter).






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Encyclopedia


Potassium nitrate is a chemical compound
Chemical compound

A chemical compound is a Chemical substance consisting of two or more different chemical element Chemical bond together in a fixed mass ratio that can be split into simpler substances....
 with the chemical formula
Chemical formula

A chemical formula is a way of expressing information about the atoms that constitute a particular chemical compound, and how the relationship between those atoms changes in chemical reactions....
 K
Potassium

Potassium is a chemical element. It has the symbol K , atomic number 19, and atomic mass 39.0983. Potassium was first isolated from potash, hence the name....
N
Nitrogen

Nitrogen is a chemical element that has the symbol N and atomic number 7 and atomic mass 14.00674?. Elemental nitrogen is a colorless, odorless, tasteless and mostly inert diatomic gas at standard conditions, constituting 78% by volume of Earth's atmosphere....
O
Oxygen

Oxygen no O2 produced; 2) O2 produced, but absorbed in oceans & seabed rock; 3) O2 starts to gas out of the oceans, but is absorbed by land surfaces and formation of ozone layer; 4-5) O2 sinks filled and the gas accumulates]]...
3. A naturally occurring mineral source of nitrogen
Nitrogen

Nitrogen is a chemical element that has the symbol N and atomic number 7 and atomic mass 14.00674?. Elemental nitrogen is a colorless, odorless, tasteless and mostly inert diatomic gas at standard conditions, constituting 78% by volume of Earth's atmosphere....
, KNO3 constitutes a critical oxidising component of black powder/gunpowder
Gunpowder

Gunpowder, also called black powder, is an explosive mixture of sulfur, charcoal and potassium nitrate, KNO3 that burns rapidly, producing volumes of hot solids and gases which can be used as a propellant in firearms and as a pyrotechnic composition in fireworks....
. In the past it was also used for several kinds of burning fuses, including slow match
Slow match

Slow match or match cord is the very slow burning cord or twine Fuse used by early gunpowder musketeers, artillerymen, and soldiers to ignite matchlock muskets, cannons, and petards....
es. Because potassium nitrate readily precipitates, urine
Urine

Urine is a liquid waste product of the body secreted by the kidneys by a process of filtration from blood called urination and excreted through the urethra....
 was a significant source, through various means, from the Late Middle Ages
Late Middle Ages

The Late Middle Ages is a term used by historians to describe history of Europe in the periodization of the 14th and 15th centuries . The Late Middle Ages were preceded by the High Middle Ages, and followed by the Early modern Europe ....
 and Early Modern era through the 19th century.

Its common names include saltpetre, from Medieval Latin sal petrae: "stone salt" or possibly "Salt of Petra
Petra

Petra is an Archaeology site in the Arabah, Ma'an Governorate, Jordan, lying on the slope of Mount Hor in a Depression among the mountains which form the eastern flank of Arabah , the large valley running from the Dead Sea to the Gulf of Aqaba....
" (saltpeter in US English), nitrate of potash, and nitre (US niter). For specific information about the naturally occurring mineral, see nitre. The name Chile saltpetre (US "Chile saltpeter") is applied to sodium nitrate
Sodium nitrate

Sodium nitrate is the chemical compound with the chemical formula NaNO3. This salts, also known as "Chile saltpeter" or "Peru saltpeter" , is a white solid which is very soluble in water....
, a different nitrogen compound that is also used in explosives and fertilizers.

Description

Potassium nitrate is the oxidising component of black powder. Before the large-scale industrial fixation of nitrogen
Nitrogen fixation

Nitrogen fixation is the process by which nitrogen is taken from its relatively inert molecular form in the Earth's atmosphere and converted into nitrogen compounds ....
 through the Haber process
Haber process

The Haber process, also called the Haber?Bosch process, is the nitrogen fixation reaction of nitrogen and hydrogen, over an enriched iron Catalysis, to produce ammonia....
, major sources of potassium nitrate were the deposits crystallising from cave walls and the draining of decomposing
Decomposition

Decomposition refers to the process by which tissues of dead organisms break down into simpler forms of matter. Such a breakdown of dead organisms is essential for new growth and development of living organisms because it recycles the finite chemical constituents and frees up the limited physical space in the biome....
 organic material. Dung-heaps were a particularly common source: ammonia
Ammonia

Ammonia is a chemical compound with the chemical formula nitrogenhydrogen. It is normally encountered as a gas with a characteristic pungent odor....
 from the decomposition of urea
Urea

Urea is an organic compound with the chemical formula 2carbonoxygen.Urea is also known by the International Nonproprietary Name carbamide, as established by the World Health Organization....
 and other nitrogenous materials would undergo bacterial oxidation to produce nitrate. It was and is also used as a component in some fertilisers. When used by itself as a fertiliser, it has an NPK rating
NPK rating

NPK rating is the acronym for the ratio of the chemicals nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium that are commonly used in fertilizers.A fertilizer that is labeled 22-10-6 has 22% nitrogen, 10% phosphorus oxide , and 6% potassium oxide in it, with the remaining 62% made up of inert matter....
 of 13-0-38 (indicating 13.9%, 0%, and 38.7% of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, by mass, respectively). Potassium nitrate was once thought to induce impotence, and is still falsely rumored to be in institutional food (such as military fare) as an anaphrodisiac
Anaphrodisiac

An anaphrodisiac is something that quells or blunts the libido. It is the opposite of an aphrodisiac, something that enhances sexual appetite. The word anaphrodisiac comes from the Greek language Prefix a?-, denoting negation, and the Greek goddess of love, Aphrodite....
; these uses would be ineffective, since potassium nitrate has no such properties. However, potassium nitrate and other nitrates do successfully combat high blood pressure and are used medically to relieve angina
Angina

Angina pectoris, commonly known as angina, is severe chest pain due to ischemia of the myocardium, generally due to obstruction or spasm of the coronary circulation ....
.

History of production

Historically, nitre-beds were prepared by mixing manure
Manure

Manure is organic matter used as organic fertilizer in agriculture. Manures contribute to the fertility of the soil by adding organic matter and Nutrient#Nutrients and the environment, such as nitrogen that is trapped by bacterium in the soil....
 with either mortar or wood ashes, common earth and organic materials such as straw to give porosity to a compost pile typically 1.5 meters high by 2 meters wide by 5 meters long. The heap was usually under a cover from the rain, kept moist with urine, turned often to accelerate the decomposition and leached
Leaching

In general, leaching is the extraction of certain materials from a carrier into a liquid . Specifically, it may refer to:*Leaching *Leaching ...
 with water after approximately one year. The liquid containing various nitrates was then converted with wood ashes to potassium nitrates, crystallized and refined for use in gunpowder
Gunpowder

Gunpowder, also called black powder, is an explosive mixture of sulfur, charcoal and potassium nitrate, KNO3 that burns rapidly, producing volumes of hot solids and gases which can be used as a propellant in firearms and as a pyrotechnic composition in fireworks....
.

Urine has also been used in the manufacture of saltpetre for gunpowder. In this process, stale urine placed in a container of straw hay is allowed to sour for many months, after which water is used to wash the resulting chemical salts from the straw. The process is completed by filtering the liquid through wood ashes and air-drying in the sun. Saltpetre crystals can then be collected and added to brimstone
Sulfur

Sulfur or sulphur is the chemical element that has the atomic number 16. It is denoted with the symbol S. It is an abundant Valence non-metal....
 and charcoal
Charcoal

Charcoal is the blackish residue consisting of impure carbon obtained by removing water and other volatile constituents from animal and vegetation substances....
 to create black powder. Potassium nitrate could also be harvested from accumulations of bat guano in caves. This was the traditional method used in Laos for the manufacture of gunpowder for Bang Fai
Rocket Festival

A Rocket Festival is a merit-making ceremony traditionally practiced throughout much of northeast Thailand and Laos, by numerous villages and municipalities near the beginning of the rainy season....
 rockets.

The earliest known complete purification process for potassium nitrate is described in 1270 by the Arab chemist
Alchemy and chemistry in Islam

Alchemy and chemistry in Islam refers to the study of both traditional alchemy and early practical chemistry by Islamic science in the Islamic Golden Age....
 and engineer Hasan al-Rammah of Syria
Syria

Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is an Arab-majority country in Southwest Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Israel to the southwest, Jordan to the south, Iraq to the east, and Turkey to the north....
 in his book al-Furusiyya wa al-Manasib al-Harbiyya (The Book of Military Horsemanship and Ingenious War Devices), where he first described the use of potassium carbonate
Potassium carbonate

Potassium carbonate is a white salt, soluble in water , which forms a strongly alkaline solution. It can be made as the product of potassium hydroxide's absorbent reaction with carbon dioxide....
 (in the form of wood
Wood

Wood is an organic material; in the strict sense wood is produced as secondary xylem in the stems of woody plants, notably trees but also shrubs, etc....
 ashes) to remove calcium
Calcium carbonate

Calcium carbonate is a chemical compound with the chemical formula CalciumCarbonOxygen3. It is a common substance found as Rock in all parts of the world, and is the main component of seashells, snails, and eggshells....
 and magnesium
Magnesium carbonate

Magnesium carbonate, MgCO3, is a white solid that occurs in nature as a mineral. Several hydrated and Base forms of magnesium carbonate also exist as minerals....
 salt
Salt

A salt, in chemistry, is defined as the product formed from the neutralisation reaction of acids and base . Salts are ionic compounds composed of cations and anions so that the product is electrically electric charge ....
s from the potassium nitrate.

During the 19th century and until around World War I
World War I

World War I, or the First World War , was a global military conflict which involved the Great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies of World War I and the Central Powers....
, potassium nitrate was produced on an industrial scale, first by the Birkeland-Eyde process
Birkeland-Eyde process

The Birkeland-Eyde process was developed by Norwegian industrialist and scientist Kristian Birkeland along with his business partner Sam Eyde. This process was used to fix atmospheric nitrogen which was in turn used to produce nitric acid, used for production of synthetic fertilizer....
 in 1905, and then later from ammonia produced by the much more efficient Haber process
Haber process

The Haber process, also called the Haber?Bosch process, is the nitrogen fixation reaction of nitrogen and hydrogen, over an enriched iron Catalysis, to produce ammonia....
. The latter process came online during World War I, and supplied Germany with nitrates critical for the warfare that it otherwise had no access to because the deposits of natural nitrate in Chile
Chile

Chile, officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long and narrow coastal strip wedged between the Andes mountains and the Pacific Ocean....
 were in British hands. It is assumed that this prolonged World War I. Today practically all nitrates are produced with ammonia
Ammonia

Ammonia is a chemical compound with the chemical formula nitrogenhydrogen. It is normally encountered as a gas with a characteristic pungent odor....
 from the Haber process
Haber process

The Haber process, also called the Haber?Bosch process, is the nitrogen fixation reaction of nitrogen and hydrogen, over an enriched iron Catalysis, to produce ammonia....
.

Uses

Potassium nitrate is also used as a fertilizer
Fertilizer

Fertilizers are chemical compounds given to plants to promote growth; they are usually applied either through the soil, for uptake by plant roots, or by foliar feeding, for uptake through leaves....
, in amateur rocket propellant
Rocket candy

Rocket candy is a term used to describe the practice of manufacturing solid rocket propellant from a formulation using sugar as a fuel and binder ....
, and in several fireworks such as smoke bomb
Smoke bomb

A smoke bomb is a firework designed to produce smoke upon ignition. Smoke bombs are useful to military units, airsoft games, paintball games, and self defense....
s.

In the process of food preservation
Food preservation

Food preservation is the process of treating and handling food to stop or greatly slow down spoilage caused or accelerated by micro-organisms....
, potassium nitrate has been a common ingredient of salted meat since the Middle Ages
Middle Ages

File:Karl 1 mit papst gelasius gregor1 sacramentar v karl d kahlen.jpgThe Middle Ages of European history are a period in history which lasted for roughly a millennium, commonly dated from the fall of the Roman Empire in the 5th century to the beginning of the Early Modern Period in the 16th century, marked by the division of Western Christi...
, but its use has been mostly discontinued due to inconsistent results compared to more modern nitrate and nitrite compounds. Even so, saltpetre is still used in some food applications, such as charcuterie
Charcuterie

Charcuterie , derived from the French words for flesh and cooked , or in Italy Salumi , is the branch of cooking devoted to prepared meat products such as bacon, ham, sausage, terrines, galantines, p?t?s, and confit, primarily from pork....
 and the brine used to make corned beef
Corned beef

In the U.S. and Canada, Corned beef has two meanings. One refers to a cut of beef Curing or Pickling in a seasoned brine. The other use of the term refers to a tinned product generally found with canned goods on supermarket shelves ...
. Sodium nitrate
Sodium nitrate

Sodium nitrate is the chemical compound with the chemical formula NaNO3. This salts, also known as "Chile saltpeter" or "Peru saltpeter" , is a white solid which is very soluble in water....
 (and nitrite
Sodium nitrite

Sodium nitrite, with chemical formula SodiumNitrogenOxygen2, is used as a colour retention agent and preservative in meats and fish....
) have mostly supplanted saltpetre's culinary usage, as they are more reliable in preventing bacterial infection than saltpeter. All three give cured salami
Salami

Salami is Curing sausage, fermentation and air-dried. Historically, salami has been popular among Italian peasants because it can be stored at room temperature for periods of up to a year, supplementing a possibly meager or inconsistent supply of fresh meat....
 and corned beef their characteristic pink hue.

In the European Union, it is referred to as E252
E number

E numbers are number codes for food additives and are usually found on food labels throughout the European Union. The numbering scheme follows that of the International Numbering System as determined by the Codex Alimentarius committee....
.

It is commonly used in manufactured cigarettes to maintain an even burn of the tobacco.

As a fertiliser, it is used as a source of nitrogen and potassium, two of the plant macro nutrients
Plant nutrition

Plant nutrition is the study of the chemical element that are necessary for plant growth. There are several principles that apply to plant nutrition. Some the element is directly involved in plant metabolism ....
 for plants. The other macro nutrients are carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen).

Potassium nitrate is also the main component (usually about 98%) of tree stump remover; it accelerates the natural decomposition of the stump.

Potassium nitrate is also commonly used in the heat treatment of metals as a solvent in the post-wash. The oxidising, water solubility and low cost make it an ideal short-term rust inhibitor.

It has also been used in the manufacture of ice cream
Ice cream

Ice cream or ice-cream is a frozen dessert usually made from dairy products, such as milk and cream, combined with fruits or other ingredients....
 and can be found in some toothpaste
Toothpaste

Toothpaste is a paste or gel dentifrice used to clean and maintain the aesthetics and health of teeth. Toothpaste is used to promote oral hygiene: it can aid in the removal of dental plaque and food from the teeth, aid in the elimination and/or masking of halitosis and deliver active ingredients such as fluoride or xylitol to prevent tooth...
s for sensitive teeth. Recently, the use of potassium nitrate in toothpaste
Toothpaste

Toothpaste is a paste or gel dentifrice used to clean and maintain the aesthetics and health of teeth. Toothpaste is used to promote oral hygiene: it can aid in the removal of dental plaque and food from the teeth, aid in the elimination and/or masking of halitosis and deliver active ingredients such as fluoride or xylitol to prevent tooth...
s for treating sensitive teeth has increased dramatically, despite the fact that it has not been conclusively shown to help Dentine hypersensitivity
Dentine hypersensitivity

Dentine hypersensitivity is sensation felt when the nerves inside the dentin of the teeth are exposed to the environment. The sensation can range from irritation all the way to intense, shooting pain....
.

Potassium nitrate is also one of the three components of black powder, along with powdered charcoal (substantially carbon) and sulfur, where it acts as an oxidiser
Oxidizing agent

An oxidizing agent can be defined as either:#a chemical compound that readily transfers oxygen atoms, or#a substance that gains electrons in a redox chemical reaction...
. When subjected to the flame test
Flame test

A flame test is a procedure used in chemistry to detect the presence of certain metal ions, based on each Chemical element characteristic emission spectrum....
 it produces a lilac flame due to the presence of potassium.

See also


  • Nitric acid
    Nitric acid

    Nitric acid , also known as aqua fortis and spirit of nitre, is a highly corrosion and toxic strong acid that can cause severe burns....
  • Nitre
  • black powder
  • Gunpowder
    Gunpowder

    Gunpowder, also called black powder, is an explosive mixture of sulfur, charcoal and potassium nitrate, KNO3 that burns rapidly, producing volumes of hot solids and gases which can be used as a propellant in firearms and as a pyrotechnic composition in fireworks....
  • Sodium nitrate
    Sodium nitrate

    Sodium nitrate is the chemical compound with the chemical formula NaNO3. This salts, also known as "Chile saltpeter" or "Peru saltpeter" , is a white solid which is very soluble in water....
  • Sodium nitrite
    Sodium nitrite

    Sodium nitrite, with chemical formula SodiumNitrogenOxygen2, is used as a colour retention agent and preservative in meats and fish....
  • Potassium nitrite
    Potassium nitrite

    Potassium nitrite, with chemical formula 2, is a material which contains Potassium and Nitrogen.Potassiun nitrite should not be confused with potassium nitrate....
  • Nitrocellulose
    Nitrocellulose

    Nitrocellulose is a highly flammable compound formed by nitrating cellulose through exposure to nitric acid or another powerful nitrating agent....
  • Potassium perchlorate
    Potassium perchlorate

    Potassium perchlorate is the inorganic salt with the chemical formula potassiumchlorineoxygen. Like other a perchlorates, this salt is a strong oxidizing agent....


Literature

  • Dennis W. Barnum. (2003). "Some History of Nitrates." Journal of Chemical Education. v. 80, p. 1393-. .
  • Alan Williams: The production of saltpeter in the Middle Ages, , 22 (1975), p. 125-33. Maney Publishing
    Maney Publishing

    Maney Publishing is an independent publisher of academic journals and books. Founded in 1900, the company has offices in the UK in Leeds and London, and Boston, North America....
    , ISSN 0002-6980.


External links

  • -- women contributed urine to the war effort.
  • of urine for the gunpowder plot
    Gunpowder Plot

    The Gunpowder Conspiracy of 1605, or the Powder Treason or Gunpowder Plot, as it was then known, was a failed assassination attempt by a group of provincial English Roman Catholic Church against King James I of England....