Potassium dithionite or potassium hydrosulfite is a potassium salt of
dithionous acid
Dithionous acid is a sulfur oxoacid with the chemical formula H2S2O4. It is unstable in pure form, but its salts, known as dithionites, are stable.
It was initially assumed that the ''C''2 symmetric structure HOS(=O)-S(=O)OH is the most stable ...
.
The compound has
UN number
A UN number (United Nations number) is a four-digit number that identifies hazardous materials, and articles (such as explosives, flammable liquids, oxidizers, toxic, toxic liquids, etc.) in the framework of international trade and transport. Some ...
UN 1929. As a dithionite, it is closely related to
sodium dithionite
Sodium dithionite (also known as sodium hydrosulfite) is a white crystalline powder with a sulfurous odor. Although it is stable in dry air, it decomposes in hot water and in acid solutions.
Structure
The structure has been examined by Raman s ...
, which is a commonly used
reducing agent
In chemistry, a reducing agent (also known as a reductant, reducer, or electron donor) is a chemical species that "donates" an electron to an (called the , , , or ).
Examples of substances that are commonly reducing agents include the Earth me ...
and
bleaching agent
Bleach is the generic name for any chemical product that is used industrially or domestically to remove color (whitening) from a fabric or fiber or to clean or to remove stains in a process called bleaching. It often refers specifically, to ...
.
See also
*
List of UN numbers 1901 to 2000
References
Dithionites
Potassium compounds
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