Potassium bisulfate/ Potassium Sulphate is an
inorganic compound
In chemistry, an inorganic compound is typically a chemical compound that lacks carbon–hydrogen bonds, that is, a compound that is not an organic compound. The study of inorganic compounds is a subfield of chemistry known as ''inorganic chemistr ...
with the
chemical formula KHSO
4 and is the
potassium acid salt Acid salts are a class of salts that produce an acidic solution after being dissolved in a solvent. Its formation as a substance has a greater electrical conductivity than that of the pure solvent. An acidic solution formed by acid salt is made duri ...
of
sulfuric acid. It is a white, water-soluble solid.
Preparation
More than 1 million tons were produced in 1985 as the initial stage in the
Mannheim process for producing potassium sulfate. The relevant conversion is the exothermic reaction of potassium chloride and sulfuric acid:
:KCl + H
2SO
4 → HCl + KHSO
4
Potassium bisulfate is a by-product in the production of
nitric acid from
potassium nitrate and sulfuric acid:
: KNO
3 + H
2SO
4 → KHSO
4 + HNO
3
Chemical Properties
Thermal decomposition of potassium bisulfate forms
potassium pyrosulfate
Potassium pyrosulfate, or potassium disulfate, is an inorganic compound with the chemical formula K2S2O7.
Production
Potassium pyrosulfate is obtained by the thermal decomposition of other salts, most directly from potassium bisulfate:
: 2 KHSO4 ...
:
: 2 KHSO
4 → K
2S
2O
7 + H
2O
Above 600 °C potassium pyrosulfate converts to
potassium sulfate
Potassium sulfate (US) or potassium sulphate (UK), also called sulphate of potash (SOP), arcanite, or archaically potash of sulfur, is the inorganic compound with formula K2SO4, a white water-soluble solid. It is commonly used in fertilizers, prov ...
and
sulfur trioxide
Sulfur trioxide (alternative spelling sulphur trioxide, also known as ''nisso sulfan'') is the chemical compound with the formula SO3. It has been described as "unquestionably the most important economically" sulfur oxide. It is prepared on an ind ...
:
:K
2S
2O
7 → K
2SO
4 + SO
3
Uses
Potassium bisulfate is commonly used to prepare
potassium bitartrate
Potassium bitartrate, also known as potassium hydrogen tartrate, with formula K C4 H5 O6, is a byproduct of winemaking. In cooking, it is known as cream of tartar. It is processed from the potassium acid salt of tartaric acid (a carboxylic a ...
for
winemaking
Winemaking or vinification is the production of wine, starting with the selection of the fruit, its fermentation into alcohol, and the bottling of the finished liquid. The history of wine-making stretches over millennia. The science of wine and w ...
. Potassium bisulfate is also used as a disintegrating agent in
analytical chemistry or as a
precursor
Precursor or Precursors may refer to:
* Precursor (religion), a forerunner, predecessor
** The Precursor, John the Baptist
Science and technology
* Precursor (bird), a hypothesized genus of fossil birds that was composed of fossilized parts of u ...
to prepare
potassium persulfate
Potassium persulfate is the inorganic compound with the formula K2 S2O8. Also known as potassium peroxydisulfate, it is a white solid that is sparingly soluble in cold water, but dissolves better in warm water. This salt is a powerful oxidant, co ...
, a powerful
oxidizing agent.
Occurrence
Mercallite, the
mineralogical
Mineralogy is a subject of geology specializing in the scientific study of the chemistry, crystal structure, and physical (including optical) properties of minerals and mineralized artifacts. Specific studies within mineralogy include the proces ...
form of potassium bisulfate, occurs very rarely.
Misenite is another more complex form of potassium bisulfate with the formula K
8H
6(SO
4)
7.
References
Sulfates
Potassium compounds
Acid salts
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