POTASSIUM ACETATE

Potassium acetate
Potassium acetate
General
Other names	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)

'Potassium acetate' (CH₃COOK) 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.

Contents

Applications

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.