Potassium carbonate

Potassium carbonate

Carbonate of potash; pearl ash

CAS 584-08-7

Chemical Formula K₂CO₃

Molecular Weight 138.21 g/mol

Potassium carbonate is a white, water-soluble salt widely used in industries such as glass manufacturing, soaps and detergents, and as a drying agent. It is also used in food processing as a buffering agent and pH regulator. Commonly known as potash, it plays a key role in various industrial and agricultural applications.

Industrial Uses

1. Food & Healthcare Ingredients

  • Acidity Regulator: Potassium carbonate helps balance acidity levels in various foods, from jams and pickles to beverages like sodas. Potassium carbonate is a weak base, so it can neutralize acids and act as a buffer, preventing significant changes in pH.
  • Leavening Agent: In baking, it reacts with acidic ingredients to release carbon dioxide, causing dough to rise and creating a light and fluffy texture. 
  • Textural Enhancer: It can improve the consistency and texture of food products, including noodles and baked goods. 

2. Pharmaceuticals

  • pH Regulation and Buffering: Potassium carbonate helps maintain the desired pH level in drug formulations, which is crucial for stability and efficacy.
  • Effervescent Tablets: Potassium carbonate is a key ingredient in effervescent tablets, which are used to help patients with potassium deficiencies.

3. Cleaning & Disinfectant

  • Mild Alkali: Potassium carbonate's alkaline nature allows it to break down grease, grime, and other insoluble stains, making it effective in cleaning various surfaces.
  • Detergent Builder: It acts as a detergent builder, enhancing the cleaning performance of laundry products and improving their ability to neutralize odors.
  • Soap Production: It's a fundamental component in the formulation of soaps and detergents, helping to saponify fats and oils for superior lathering and cleansing.
  • Hard Water Deposits: Its ability to neutralize mineralized ions in water makes it useful for removing hard water stains and deposits in bathrooms and other areas.

4. Agrochemicals

  • Fertilizers: Potassium carbonate is a readily available source of potassium, an essential nutrient for plant growth, photosynthesis, and overall health. It's often used in liquid fertilizers and agrochemicals.
  • Soil Improvement: Potassium carbonate helps improve soil health, increases soil temperature, neutralizes soil acidity, and promotes crop growth in a more favorable environment.
  • Plant Health: It enhances plant maturity by improving overall health, root resistance, and disease resistance.

5. Performance Chemicals

  • Neutralization: Potassium carbonate is used to neutralize acidic reaction mixtures before workup
  • Base Catalyst: Potassium carbonate acts as a base, deprotonating acidic protons in various reactions.  It's commonly used in alkylations, where it activates compounds for reaction with electrophiles. 
  • Drying Agent: Potassium carbonate is hygroscopic, meaning it absorbs moisture. This property makes it useful for drying solvents and organic compounds like ketones, alcohols, and amines. It's a good choice when other drying agents might be incompatible with the compounds being dried.

6. Personal care

  • pH Regulator: In personal care products, potassium carbonate helps adjust the pH level, ensuring product stability and skin compatibility.
  • Emulsifier: It can also function as an emulsifier, helping to create stable mixtures of oil and water in products like lotions.
  • Water softeners: Potassium carbonate softens water by engaging in an ion exchange process, similar to how sodium-based water softeners work. It essentially replaces the calcium and magnesium ions that contribute to water hardness with potassium ions.

Specifications

Assay 99%
Appearance White, hygroscopic crystalline powder or granules
Odor Odorless
Boiling Point Decomposes before boiling
Melting Point 891°C
Density 2.43 g/cm3
Solubility Highly soluble in water; insoluble in alcohol
Viscosity Not applicable
Flash Point Not applicable

FAQs

1. What is the current price of Potassium carbonate in India?
The price of Potassium carbonate can vary based on factors such as purity, quantity, etc. For the most accurate and competitive pricing, please contact us at +91.6301 00 6301 directly for a customized quote tailored to your needs.

2. Where can I buy Potassium carbonate in India?
You can purchase Potassium carbonate from MULTICHEM, a leading exporter with a reputation for quality and reliability. We provide convenient options for bulk orders and direct shipments across global markets. For more details on how to place an order, please visit our website or contact our sales team.

3. What is the minimum order quantity (MOQ) for Potassium carbonate? 
Our minimum order quantity (MOQ) for Potassium carbonate is designed to cater to both small-scale and large-scale needs. The MOQ depends on the packing size of the product which could range from 25 kg to 250kg.

4. How can I ensure the quality of Potassium carbonate supplied by Multichem?
We adhere to stringent quality control processes to ensure that our products meet the highest standards of purity and effectiveness. They undergo rigorous testing and quality checks to guarantee that they comply with industry specifications. We provide a Certificate of Analysis (CoA) with every shipment to ensure transparency and quality assurance.