Potassium Perchlorate
- IUPAC Name
- potassium perchlorate
- Molecular Formula
- KClO4
- Molecular Weight (g/mol)
- 138.5500
- InChIKey
- YLMGFJXSLBMXHK-UHFFFAOYSA-M
- InChI
- InChI=1S/ClHO4.K/c2-1(3,4)5;/h(H,2,3,4,5);/q;+1/p-1
- Synonyms & Trade Names
- Potassium perchlorate; Potassium chlorate(VII); KClO4
Categories
Technical Document
Brief Overview
Perchlorates are salts derived from perchloric acid and appears as white crystalline solid. Perchlorates are both naturally occurring and manufactured. Although they do not typically explode or catch fire, most mixtures of perchlorates with organic compounds are reactive. Potassium perchlorate is also a powerful oxidizing agent. It is due to its explosive which makes it widely used within the pyrotechnics industry as a propellant / fireworks.
Manufacturing Process
Potassium Perchlorate is commercially prepared by combining Sodium Perchlorate solution with Potassium Chloride using electrochemical synthesis. In an electrochemical cell, Chlorine (from the anode) dissolves in water to make an equilibrium solution of hypochlorous acid hydrochloric acid. At the cathode, Hydrogen is converted to Potassium Hydroxide, which then reacts with the dissolved Chlorine to form Potassium Chloride and Potassium Hydroxide. Now, Sodium Perchlorate is added and thus reacts with Potassium Chloride to give Potassium Perchlorate due to an oxidation reaction of the raw material mixture at the anode side. These Potassium Perchlorate crystals are separated washed and sent for further processing.