Potassium acetate

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Please help improve this article or section by expanding it.
Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion. (January 2007)

Potassium acetate

Other names	potassium salt
Identifiers
CAS number	[127-08-2]
Properties
Molecular formula	CH₃COOK
Molar mass	98.15 g/mol
Appearance	white crystalline powder deliquescent
Density	1.57 g/cm³, solid
Melting point	292°C
Solubility in water	200g/100g water
Acidity (pK_a)	9.7 (0.1M solution)
Hazards
EU classification	not listed
NFPA 704	0 1 0
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 neutralized 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.

Potassium acetate is the extinguishing agent used in class K fire extinguishers because of its ability to cool and form a crust over the burning oils.

Potassium acetate is used as part of replacement protocols in the treatment of diabetic ketoacidosis because of its ability to breakdown into bicarbonate and help neutralize the acidotic state.

In molecular biology potassium acetate is used to precipitate dodecyl sulfate (DS)and DS bound proteins, allowing the removal of proteins from DNA. It is also used as a salt for the ethanol precipitation of DNA.

Potassium acetate is used as a food additive (preservative, acidity regulator) found on food labels in the European Union.

Potassium acetate is used in mixtures applied for tissue preservation, fixation, and mummification. Most museums today use the formaldehyde-based method recommended by Kaiserling in 1897 and containing potassium acetate.^[1] For example, Lenin's mummy was soaked in a bath containing potassium acetate.^[2]