Potassium chlorate salt refers to a group of oxygen-containing acids formed by the chlorine. In another way, it is called chlorate of potassium, and its formula is KClO3. It is a poisonous and hazardous substance, which has the most wide application in various industries.


His name potassium chlorate salt owe to the French chemist Claude Bertolle, who in 1786 missed the chlorine through hot concentrated alkaline solution (the formula of the reaction 3Cl2 + 6KOH → 5KCl + KClO3 + 3H2O) and got the potassium chlorate in the form of a white precipitate. Currently, there are other ways of obtaining potassium chlorate, for example the reaction between calcium chlorate and chloride of potassium (potassium chlorate salt is distinguished by crystallization) or by electrochemical oxidation of metal chlorides in aqueous solutions. Potassium chlorate is highlighted if you skip the chlorine gas through a 45% solution of K2CO3 or 30% solution of potassium hydroxide (KOH). At home potassium chlorate salt easily and without special equipment it is possible to get out of the ordinary match heads (the product yield is about 9.5 g of 10 matchbooks) or household bleach.


Chemical properties and characteristics.

Potassium chlorate salt is colorless or white, salted crystals (toxic), soluble in water (100 cm3 water at a temperature of 20 ° C can dissolve about 7.3 g of salt), with increasing temperature the solubility increases. The density is 2.32 g/cm3, molecular weight - 122,55 atomic mass units, the melting temperature is 356оС, the decomposition of the salt begins at a temperature of 400oC. Potassium chlorate when heated, it easily gives off oxygen, the reaction equation 2KClO3=2KCl+3O2.


Because potassium chlorate salt is a strong oxidant, it is extremely dangerous to mix it with easily oxidizable substances (which in their properties are reducing agents) such as sugar, starch, sulfur, red phosphorus, antimony, and soot. Potassium chlorate salt is easily detonated by shock, heat, friction (which we can easily see, using a match), especially dangerous its mix in dry organic matter. If the mixture contains potassium bromate (KBrO3), the possibility of explosion increases. This is because in the presence of bromatom and ammonium salts of the sensitivity of potassium chlorate in admixture with organic substances is greatly enhanced. When working with potassium chlorate salt be very careful! Is extremely unstable explosive that can easily ignite even with improper storage, the chopping or stirring and may lead to death or disability.


The impact on the human body.

Potassium chlorate (like all chlorates) is a toxic substance, and ingestion causes severe General poisoning or death. This is because under the influence of potassium chlorate hemoglobin passes into methemoglobin and then into the plasma, and red blood cells can no longer absorb oxygen. The oxygen content in the blood drops to critical, and within a few hours, death can occur from strangled. If adopted, a smaller dose of potassium chlorate, death may occur in a few days: the erythrocytes are transformed into a gelatinous mass, which clog the capillaries, causing the disorder of urination, as well as thrombosis and embolism. Toxic dose of 8-10 g, mortal — 10-30 g.


Treatment of poisoning potassium chlorate salt is the saturation of blood with oxygen and intravenous saline alkaline, and also a large number of diuretics. After the blood is diluted, under the skin type of the pilocarpine solution for removing poison with saliva. When collapse is assigned to camphor. In cases of poisoning by potassium chlorate is strictly contraindicated alcohol, his drugs as well as acidic drinks.


Where the use of potassium chlorate salt.

The range of application of potassium chlorate is very wide. Potassium chlorate salt is used to retrieve the matches, various dyes, disinfectants, tsvetoprobnyh compounds (fireworks), chlorine dioxide, in the USSR, it was part of the fuse of the Molotov cocktail, cooked in a special way.


Despite the fact that potassium chlorate salt by mixing with organic substances easily detonate as an explosive, it is used extremely seldom – too much risk of uncontrolled explosion. Therefore, for military purposes, compositions with potassium chlorate is rarely used.


Previously, the salt in weak solutions used in medicine as a mild external disinfectant for gargling. Now, due to the high toxicity of salt, this was abandoned in favor of other means.