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.
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Potassium hydroxide is an inorganic compound with the formula KOH, and is commonly called caustic potash. Along with sodium hydroxide (NaOH), KOH is a prototypical strong base. It has many industrial and niche applications, most of which exploit its caustic nature and its reactivity toward acids. An estimated 700,000 to 800,000 tonnes were produced in 2005. KOH is noteworthy as the precursor to most soft and liquid soaps, as well as numerous potassium-containing chemicals. It is a white solid that is dangerously corrosive.
Calcium chloride is an inorganic compound, a salt with the chemical formula . It is a white crystalline solid at room temperature, and it is highly soluble in water. It can be created by neutralising hydrochloric acid with calcium hydroxide. Calcium chloride is commonly encountered as a hydrated solid with generic formula , where n = 0, 1, 2, 4, and 6. These compounds are mainly used for de-icing and dust control. Because the anhydrous salt is hygroscopic and deliquescent, it is used as a desiccant.
Potash (ˈpɒtæʃ) includes various mined and manufactured salts that contain potassium in water-soluble form. The name derives from pot ash, plant ashes or wood ash soaked in water in a pot, the primary means of manufacturing potash before the Industrial Era. The word potassium is derived from potash. Potash is produced worldwide in amounts exceeding 90 million tonnes (40 million tonnes K2O equivalent) per year, with Canada being the largest producer, mostly for use in fertilizer.
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