Potassium acetate

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Potassium acetate
Image:Potassium acetate.jpg
General
Other names	acetic acid, potassium salt
Molecular formula	CH₃COOK
Molar mass	98.15 g/mol
Appearance	white crystalline powder deliquescent
CAS number	[127-08-2]
Properties
Density and phase	1.57 g/cm³, solid
Solubility in water	200g/100g water
Melting point	292°C
Boiling point	n/a
pH	9.7 (0.1M solution)
Hazards
EU classification	not listed
NFPA 704
Except where noted otherwise, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C, 100 kPa) Infobox disclaimer and references

Potassium acetate (C H₃ C O O K) is a chemical compound.

It can be prepared by reacting a potassium containing base such as potassium hydroxide or potassium carbonate with acetic acid: 2CH₃COOH + K₂CO₃ → 2CH₃COOK + CO₂ + H₂O This sort of reaction is known as an acid-base neutralization reaction. Potassium acetate is the salt that forms along with water as acetic acid and potassium hydroxide are neutrilized together.

Conditions/substances to avoid are: moisture, heat, flames, ignition sources and strong oxidizing agents.

[edit] Applications

Potassium acetate can be used as deicer instead of chloride salts like calcium chloride or magnesium chloride. It offers the advantage of being less aggressive on soils and much less corrosive, and for this reason is preferred for airport runways. It is, however, more expensive.