Potassium Nitrate
Potassium nitrate is a chemical compound with a sharp, salty, bitter taste and the chemical formula KNO
3. It is an ionic salt of potassium ions K+ and nitrate ions NO3−, and is therefore an alkali metal nitrate. It occurs in nature as a mineral, niter (or nitre in the UK).It is a source of nitrogen, and nitrogen was named after niter. Potassium nitrate is one of several nitrogen-containing compounds collectively referred to as saltpeter (or saltpetre in the UK).
Major uses of potassium nitrate are in fertilizers, tree stump removal, rocket propellants and fireworks. It is one of the major constituents of gunpowder (black powder).In processed meats, potassium nitrate reacts with hemoglobin and myoglobin generating a red color.
Application
KNO3 is a chemical compound with the chemical name Potassium Nitrate. Potassium nitrate also called saltpetre or nitre is a white solid soluble in water formed by fractional crystallisation of sodium nitrate and potassium chloride solutions. It occurs naturally as nitre in rocks in India, South Africa and Brazil.
| Chemical formula | KNO3 |
|---|---|
| Molar mass | 101.1032 g/mol |
| Appearance | white solid |
| Odor | odorless |
| Density | 2.109 g/cm3 (16 °C) |
| Melting Point | 334 °C (633 °F; 607 K) |
| Boiling Point | 400 °C (752 °F; 673 K) (decomposes) |
| Solubility in water | 133 g/1000 g water (0 °C) |
| Solubility | slightly soluble in ethanol |
| Basicity (pKb) | 15.3 |
| Magnetic susceptibility (χ) | −33.7·10−6 cm3/mol |
| Refractive index (nD) | 1.335, 1.5056, 1.5604 |
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