Potassium acid salt

Acid salts are a class of salt (chemistry), 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 during partial neutralization (chemistry), neutralization of diprotic or polyprotic acids. A ''half-neutralization'' occurs due to the remaining of replaceable hydrogen atoms from the partial dissociation of weak acids that have not been reacted with hydroxide ions () to create water molecules.

Acidic solution and examples of acid salts

Acid-base property of the resulting solution from a neutralization reaction depends on the remaining salt products. A salt containing reactive cations undergo hydrolysis by which they react with water molecules, causing deprotonation of the conjugate acids.


For example, the acid salt ammonium chloride is the main species formed upon the ''half neutralization'' of ammonia in hydrochloric acid solution:
:NH3_\ +\ HCl_ -> NH4Cl_

Use in food

Acidic salts are often used in foods as part of leavening agents. In this context, the acid salts are referred to as "leavening acids." Common leavening acids include Potassium bitartrate, cream of tartar and monocalcium phosphate.

An acidic salt can be mixed with an alkali salt (such as sodium bicarbonate or baking soda) to create baking powders which release carbon dioxide. Leavening agents can be slow-acting (e.g. Sodium aluminium phosphate, sodium aluminum phosphate) which react when heated, or fast-acting (e,g, cream of tartar) which react immediately at low temperatures. Double-acting baking powders contain both slow- and fast-acting leavening agents and react at low and high temperatures to provide leavening rising throughout the baking process.

Disodium phosphate, , is used in foods and monosodium phosphate, , is used in animal feed, toothpaste and evaporated milk.

Intensity of acid

An acid with higher Acid dissociation constant, value dominates the chemical reaction. It serves as a better contributor of proton, protons (). A comparison between the and Base dissociation constant, indicates the acid-base property of the resulting solution by which:

# The solution is acidic if . It contains a greater concentration of ions than concentration of ions due more extensive of cation hydrolysis compared to that of anion hydrolysis.
# The solution is alkali if . Anions hydrolyze more than cations, causing an exceeding concentration of ions.
# The solution is expected to be neutral only when .

Other possible factors that could vary pH level of a solution are the relevant equilibrium constants and the additional amounts of any base or acid.

For example, in ammonium chloride solution, is the main influence for acidic solution. It has greater value compared to that of water molecules; of is , and of is . This ensures its deprotonation when reacting with water, and is responsible for the pH below 7 at room temperature. will have no Chemical affinity, affinity for nor tendency to hydrolyze, as its value is very low ( of is ).Lower, S.K., (1999). Introduction to acid-base chemistry. Chem1 General Chemistry Text. Retrieved from http://www.chem1.com/acad/pdf/c1xacid1.pdf

Hydrolysis of ammonium at room temperature produces:
:NH4+_\ + H2O_ <=> NH3_\ + H3O+_
:$K_\mathrm = \frac = \frac$
:$K_\mathrm = \frac = \times 10^$

See also

*Alkali salt
*Salt (chemistry)
*Oxoacid
*Sodium bicarbonate
*Sodium bisulfate
*Disodium phosphate
*Monosodium phosphate

References

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Salts
Acids