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Potassium nitrate

Potassium nitrate
Potassium nitrate
Potassium nitrate structure.svg
Potassium nitrate ball-and-stick.png
Names
IUPAC name
Potassium nitrate
Other names
Saltpetre
Nitrate of potash
Identifiers
7757-79-1 YesY
3D model (Jmol) Interactive image
ChEMBL ChEMBL1644029 N
ChemSpider 22843 YesY
ECHA InfoCard 100.028.926
EC Number 231-818-8
E number E252 (preservatives)
KEGG D02051 YesY
PubChem 24434
RTECS number TT3700000
UNII RU45X2JN0Z YesY
UN number 1486
Properties
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 decomposes at 400 °C
133 g/L (0 °C)
316 g/L (20 °C)
2460 g/L (100 °C)
Solubility slightly soluble in ethanol
soluble in glycerol, ammonia
Basicity (pKb) 15.3
−33.7·10−6 cm3/mol
1.335, 1.5056, 1.5604
Structure
Orthorhombic, Aragonite
Thermochemistry
95.06 J/mol K
-494.00 kJ/mol
Hazards
Main hazards Oxidant, Harmful if swallowed, Inhaled, or absorbed on skin. Causes Irritation to Skin and Eye area.
Safety data sheet See: data page
ICSC 0184
Oxidant (O)
R-phrases R8 R22 R36 R37 R38
S-phrases S7 S16 S17 S26 S36 S41
NFPA 704
Flammability code 0: Will not burn. E.g., water Health code 1: Exposure would cause irritation but only minor residual injury. E.g., turpentine Reactivity code 0: Normally stable, even under fire exposure conditions, and is not reactive with water. E.g., liquid nitrogen Special hazard OX: Oxidizer. E.g., potassium perchlorateNFPA 704 four-colored diamond
Flash point Non-flammable
Lethal dose or concentration (LD, LC):
LD50 (median dose)
1901 mg/kg (oral, rabbit)
3750 mg/kg (oral, rat)
Related compounds
Other anions
Potassium nitrite
Other cations
Lithium nitrate
Sodium nitrate
Rubidium nitrate
Caesium nitrate
Related compounds
Potassium sulfate
Potassium chloride
Supplementary data page
Refractive index (n),
Dielectric constantr), etc.
Thermodynamic
data
Phase behaviour
solid–liquid–gas
UV, IR, NMR, MS
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa).
N  (what is YesYN ?)
Infobox references

Potassium nitrate is a chemical compound with the chemical formula KNO3. It is an ionic salt of potassium ions K+ and nitrate ions NO3, and is therefore an alkali metal nitrate.

It occurs as a mineral niter and is a natural solid source of nitrogen. Potassium nitrate is one of several nitrogen-containing compounds collectively referred to as saltpeter or saltpetre.

Major uses of potassium nitrate are in fertilizers, tree stump removal, rocket propellants and fireworks. It is one of the major constituents of gunpowder (blackpowder) and has been used since the Middle Ages as a food preservative.

Potassium nitrate, because of its early and global use and production, has many names.

The Greeks used the term nitron, which was Latinised to nitrum or nitrium, while earlier Hebrews and Egyptians used words with the consonants n-t-r, which leads some to speculate that the Latin term is closer to the original than the Greek term. Middle English styled it nitre. Old French had niter. By the 15th century, Europeans referred to it as saltpeter and later as nitrate of potash, as the chemistry of the compound was more fully understood.

The Arabs called it "Chinese snow" (Arabic: ثلج الصين‎‎ thalj al-ṣīn). It was called "Chinese salt" by the Iranians/Persians or "salt from Chinese salt marshes" (Persian: نمک شوره چيني‎‎ namak shūra chīnī).


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