Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Potassium Chloride Crystals

Introduction :
Potassium chloride crystals are the inorganic chemical compound, which is represented by the molecular formula KCl and the molar mass is 74.55g. Potassium chloride crystals is the salt of metal halide. Potassium chloride crystals are odorless and it is white in color and it is a crystalline solid.  The boiling and melting point of potassium chloride crystals are 1420°C and 770°C respectively. Potassium chloride crystals are soluble in water. Potassium chloride crystals have face centered cubic structure. Rarely potassium chloride crystals are known as muriate of potash.   It is toxic in excess if we intake orally.  It is hygroscopic in nature.  Potassium chloride crystal was discovered by Sir Humphrey Davy in 1807.

The appearance potassium chloride crystals is shown below,

              

Preparation and Structure of Potassium Chloride Crystals:

Preparation of Potassium chloride:
Potassium chloride crystals naturally occurs as sylvite, so potassium chloride is easily extracted from sylvinite.  It is obtained as a by-product in the preparation of nitric acid from hydrochloric acid and potassium nitrate. i.e.
KNO3 + HCl ===> HNO3 + KCl

Chemical properties of Potassium chloride crystals:

Potassium chloride crystals can react with silver nitrate to give silver chloride.
KCl + AgNO3 ==> AgCl + KNo3
Since potassium is more electropositive than sodium, so it is reduced to potassium metal
KCl (l) + Na (l) ⇌ NaCl (l) + K (g).

Structure of Potassium chloride crystal:
The structure o potassium chloride is face centered cubic.  The lattice constants are equal at 630 picometers .The potassium and the chloride ions are bonded through ionic bond.


Applications of Potassium Chloride Crystals:

Potassium chloride crystals have many applications; few of them are as below,
  • Solution of potassium chloride crystals are used as strong electrolytes.
  • They are used as good conductors of heat and electricity.
  • In infrared and FTIR spectrophotometers, potassium chloride is commonly used as infrared transmission crystal windows in liquid and gaseous sample.
  • It is used in preparation of fertilizers.
  • It is also used in the manufacture of potassium metal and potassium hydroxide and also used as medicine.
  • It is used as fire extinguishing agent.
  • Like sodium chloride, it is used as flux for the gas welding of aluminium

2 comments:

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