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Concept
Potassium carbonate
Summary
Potassium carbonate is the inorganic compound with the formula K2CO3. It is a white salt, which is soluble in water and forms a strongly alkaline solution. It is deliquescent, often appearing as a damp or wet solid. Potassium carbonate is mainly used in the production of soap and glass.
Potassium carbonate is the primary component of potash and the more refined pearl ash or salts of tartar. The very ever first patent issued by the US Patent Office was awarded to Samuel Hopkins in 1790 for an improved method of making potash and pearl ash.
In late 18th-century North America, before the development of baking powder, pearl ash was used as a leavening agent for quick breads.
Potassium lye (which in this case can alternatively be called potash), a substance which contains potassium carbonate and potassium hydroxide, was historically produced by dissolving the lye found in the wooden ashes inside of water for approximately 100,000 seconds, disposing of the undissolved ashes, and then drying/evaporating the remaining liquid.
With modern observation, this process would produce greater yields if done with the ashes of banana peels due to their increased amounts of potassium carbonate.
As previously mentioned, Samuel Hopkins created an improved method of making pearl ash. One of those procedures was putting the lye/potash in a kiln to remove impurities.
Potassium carbonate is today, prepared commercially by the reaction of potassium hydroxide with carbon dioxide:
2 KOH + CO2 → K2CO3 + H2O
From the solution crystallizes the sesquihydrate K2CO3·H2O ("potash hydrate"). Heating this solid above gives the anhydrous salt. In an alternative method, potassium chloride is treated with carbon dioxide in the presence of an organic amine to give potassium bicarbonate, which is then calcined:
2 KHCO3 → K2CO3 + H2O + CO2
(historically) for soap, glass, and dishware production
as a mild drying agent where other drying agents, such as calcium chloride and magnesium sulfate, may be incompatible.
Official source
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