Potassium salt

A potassium salt is the salt of an inorganic or an organic acid. It is created by the reaction of the acid with potassium , potassium hydroxide or the potassium salts of weaker acids.

Potassium salts of individual fatty acids

Potassium oleate, the potassium salt of oleic acid .

Potassium palmitate, the potassium salt of palmitic acid .

Potassium stearate, the potassium salt of stearic acid .

Organic potassium salts

Potassium formate , HCOOK, is the potassium salt of formic acid ; Potassium acetate , CH ₃ COOK, is the potassium salt of acetic acid .

Medicinal substances

In galenics , acidic medicinal substances are sometimes converted into potassium salts, as these are more stable, more soluble or more permeable to the membrane than the medicinal substance itself. An example of such potassium salts is diclofenac potassium.

Cosmetics

The potassium salts of fatty acids are used as soaps , and more precisely called potassium soaps .

Inorganic potassium salts

Examples of important inorganic potassium salts are potassium fluoride , potassium chloride , potassium bromide , potassium iodide , potassium sulfate , potassium hydrogen carbonate and potassium carbonate .

Some acids, e.g. B. phosphoric acid , can form three different potassium salts:

• Potassium dihydrogen phosphate (KH ₂ PO ₄ , "monopotassium phosphate")
• Dipotassium hydrogen phosphate (K ₂ HPO ₄ , "dipotassium phosphate")
• Potassium phosphate (K ₃ PO ₄ , "tripotassium phosphate")

These are approved as food additives in the European Union under the common number E 340 .

See also

• Sodium salts

Individual evidence

1. ↑ European Pharmacopoeia, Deutscher Apotheker Verlag Stuttgart, 6th edition, 2008, pp. 2296–2298, ISBN 978-3-7692-3962-1 .