Potassium information, including Technical Data, Safety Data and its high purity properties, research, applications and other useful facts are discussed below. Scientific facts such as the atomic structure, ionization energy, abundance on Earth, conductivity and thermal properties are included.
 Potassium is the seventh most abundant element on earth. In its metallic form it is one of the most reactive and electropositive of all metals and rapidly oxidizes. As with other metals of the alkali group, the metal decomposes in water with the evolution of hydrogen. It catches fire spontaneously in water. In high purity, potassium compounds have numerous pharmacological, medical, and electronics applications. Important compounds include the hydroxide, nitrate, carbonate, chloride, bromide, iodide, and sulfate. Lower purity compounds are used in pyrotechnics for its violet color on ignition and in glass and ceramic glazes to produce this color. Potassium also used as a nutrient in plant growth.
Potassium facts, including appearance, CAS #, and molecular formula and safety data, research and properties are
available for many specific states, forms and shapes on the product pages listed to the left. Elemental or metallic forms include pellets, rod, wire and granules for evaporation source material purposes. Nanoparticles and nanopowders provide ultra high surface area which nanotechnology research and recent experiments demonstrate function to create new and unique properties and benefits.
Oxides are available in forms including powders and dense pellets for such uses as optical coating and thin film applications. Oxides tend to be insoluble. Fluorides are another insoluble form for uses in which oxygen is undesirable such as metallurgy, chemical and physical vapor deposition and in some optical coatings. Potassium is available in soluble forms including chlorides, nitrates and acetates. These compounds are also manufactured as solutions at specified stoichiometries.
Potassium is a Block S, Group 1, Period 4 element. The number of electrons in each of Potassium's shells is 2, 8, 8, 1 and its electronic configuration is [Ar] 4s1. In its elemental form potassium's CAS number is 7440-09-7. The potassium atom has a radius of 227.2 .pm and it's Van der Waals radius is 275.pm. Potassium is not toxic.
 All elemental metals, compounds and solutions may be synthesized in ultra high purity (e.g. 99.999%) for laboratory standards, advanced electronic, thin fillm deposition using sputtering targets and evaporation materials, metallurgy and optical materials and other high technology applications. Information is provided for stable (non-radioactive) isotopes. Organo-Metallic Potassium compounds are soluble in organic or non-aqueous solvents. See Analytical Services for information on available certified chemical and physical analysis techniques including MS-ICP, X-Ray Diffraction, PSD and Surface Area (BET) analysis.
Since potassium reacts violently with water, it only occurs in nature in ionic salts. Potassium was first discovered by Sir Humphrey Davy in 1807. The origin of the element name comes from the English word 'potash' meaning pot ashes and the Arabic word 'qali' which means alkali. The symbol K originates from the Latin word 'kalium'.
 potassium |
 Kalium |
 potassio |
 Potássio |
 potasio |
 Kalium |
Abundance. The following table shows the abundance of potassium and each of its naturally occurring isotopes on Earth along with the atomic mass for each isotope.
| Isotope |
Atomic Mass |
% Abundance on Earth |
| K-39 |
38.9637068 |
93.26 |
| K-40 |
39.9639987 |
0.01 |
| K-41 |
40.9618260 |
6.73 |
The following table shows the abundance of Potassium present in the human body and in the universe scaled to parts per billion (ppb) by weight and by atom:
| |
Typical Human Body |
Universe |
| by Weight |
2000000 ppb |
3000 ppb |
| by Atom |
320000 ppb |
100 ppb |
Safety Data and Biological Role. The safety data for potassium metal, nanoparticles and its compounds can vary widely depending on the form. For potential hazard information, toxicity, and road, sea and air transportation limitations, such as DOT Hazard Class, DOT Number, EU Number, NFPA Health rating and RTECS Class, please see the specific material or compound referenced in the left margin. Potassium compounds play an important biological role. The potassium cation is the major cation in intracellular fluids and is essential for nerve and heart function.
Ionization Energy. The ionization energy for potassium (the least required energy to release a single electron from the atom in it's ground state in the gas phase) is stated in the following table:
| 1st Ionization Energy |
418.81 kJ mol-1 |
| 2nd Ionization Energy |
3051.85 kJ mol-1 |
| 3rd Ionization Energy |
4419.64 kJ mol-1 |
Conductivity. As to potassium's electrical and thermal conductivity, the electrical conductivity measured as to electrical resistivity @ 20 ºC is 6.15 μΩcm and its electronegativities (or its ability to draw electrons relative to other elements) is 0.82. The thermal conductivity of potassium is 102 W m-1 K-1.
Thermal Properties. The melting point and boiling point for potassium are stated below. The following chart sets forth the heat of fusion, heat of vaporization and heat of atomization.
| Heat of Fusion |
2.4 kJ mol-1 |
| Heat of Vaporization |
79.1 kJ mol-1 |
| Heat of Atomization |
90.14 kJ mol-1 |
Recent Research & Development for Potassium
Acid-base and biochemical stabilization and quality of recovery in male cats with urethral obstruction and anesthetized with propofol or a combination of ketamine and diazepam.
Freitas GC, Monteiro Carvalho Mori da Cunha MG, Gomes K, Monteiro Carvalho Mori da Cunha JP, Togni M, Pippi NL, Carregaro AB.
Can J Vet Res. 2012 Jul;76(3):201-8.
PMID:
23277699
[PubMed - in process]
Aquaporin-4-dependent K+ and water transport modeled in brain extracellular space following neuroexcitation.
Jin BJ, Zhang H, Binder DK, Verkman AS.
J Gen Physiol. 2013 Jan;141(1):119-32. doi: 10.1085/jgp.201210883.
PMID:
23277478
[PubMed - in process]
Positions of ß2 and ß3 subunits in the large-conductance calcium- and voltage-activated BK potassium channel.
Wu RS, Liu G, Zakharov SI, Chudasama N, Motoike H, Karlin A, Marx SO.
J Gen Physiol. 2013 Jan;141(1):105-17. doi: 10.1085/jgp.201210891.
PMID:
23277477
[PubMed - in process]
Regulated Neuronal Neuromodulation via Spinal Cord Expression of the Gene for the Inwardly Rectifying Potassium Channel 2.1 (Kir2.1).
Boulis NM, Handy CR, Krudy CA, Donnelly EM, Federici T, Franz CK, Barrow EM, Teng Q, Kumar P, Cress D.
Neurosurgery. 2012 Dec 28. [Epub ahead of print]
PMID:
23277370
[PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Generation of an Antibody Toolbox to Characterize hERG.
Hausammann GJ, Heitkamp T, Matile H, Gsell B, Thoma R, Schmid G, Frasson D, Sievers M, Hennig M, Grütter MG.
Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2012 Dec 28. doi:pii: S0006-291X(12)02437-0. 10.1016/j.bbrc.2012.12.089. [Epub ahead of print]
PMID:
23277102
[PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Mechanisms of cardioprotection by isoflurane against I/R injury.
Lang XE, Wang X, Jin JH.
Front Biosci. 2013 Jan 1;18:387-93.
PMID:
23276931
[PubMed - in process]
Unilateral Gynecomastia and Hypokalemic Periodic Paralysis as First Manifestations of Graves' Disease.
Wang Y, Zhao L, Li F, Chen HX, Fang F, Peng YD.
Am J Med Sci. 2012 Dec 28. [Epub ahead of print]
PMID:
23276903
The protective and toxic effects of rhubarb tannins and anthraquinones in treating hexavalent chromium-injured rats: The Yin/Yang actions of rhubarb.
Zeng LN, Ma ZJ, Zhao YL, Zhang LD, Li RS, Wang JB, Zhang P, Yan D, Li Q, Jiang BQ, Pu SB, Lü Y, Xiao XH.
J Hazard Mater. 2012 Dec 10;246-247C:1-9. doi: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2012.12.004. [Epub ahead of print]
PMID:
23276788
[PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Maternal separation increases GABA(A) receptor-mediatedmodulation of norepinephrine release inthe hippocampus of a rat model of ADHD, the spontaneouslyhypertensive rat.
Sterley TL, Howells FM, Russell VA.
Brain Res. 2012 Dec 28. doi:pii: S0006-8993(12)01961-0. 10.1016/j.brainres.2012.12.029. [Epub ahead of print]
PMID:
23276497
[PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor and Superior Collicular Extract Regulate the Expression of the 1.6 Subfamily of Voltage-gated Potassium Channels in the Developing Rat Retina in vitro.
Marita Golla K, Ramaswamy Raju T, Chatterji S.
J Ophthalmic Vis Res. 2012 Apr;7(2):139-47.
PMID:
23275823
[PubMed]
Regulation of Interleukin-6 Secretion by the Two-Pore-Domain Potassium (K2P) Channel Trek-1 in Alveolar Epithelial Cells.
Schwingshackl A, Teng B, Ghosh MC, Lim KG, Tigyi GJ, Narayanan D, Jaggar JH, Waters CM.
Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol. 2012 Dec 28. [Epub ahead of print]
PMID:
23275623
[PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Involvement of the NO-cGMP-KATP channel pathway in the mesenteric lymphatic pump dysfunction observed in the guinea pig model of TNBS-induced ileitis.
Mathias R, von der Weid PY.
Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol. 2012 Dec 28. [Epub ahead of print]
PMID:
23275612
[PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Genotype and Phenotype Correlations in 417 Children With Congenital Hyperinsulinism.
Snider KE, Becker S, Boyajian L, Shyng SL, Macmullen C, Hughes N, Ganapathy K, Bhatti T, Stanley CA, Ganguly A.
J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2012 Dec 28. [Epub ahead of print]
PMID:
23275527
[PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Molecular Mechanisms Underlying the Apoptotic Effect of KCNB1 Oxidation.
Wu X, Enriquez-Hernandez B, Banas M, Xu R, Sesti F.
J Biol Chem. 2012 Dec 29. [Epub ahead of print]
PMID:
23275378
[PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Expression and characterization of an iron-containing superoxide dismutase from Burkholderia pseudomallei.
Cho MH, Shin YW, Chun JH, Hong KJ, Na BK, Rhie GE, Seong BL, Yoo CK.
J Microbiol. 2012 Dec;50(6):1029-33. doi: 10.1007/s12275-012-2267-2. Epub 2012 Dec 30.
PMID:
23274991
[PubMed - in process]
Potential of Potassium Hydroxide Pretreatment of Switchgrass for Fermentable Sugar Production.
Sharma R, Palled V, Sharma-Shivappa RR, Osborne J.
Appl Biochem Biotechnol. 2012 Dec 29. [Epub ahead of print]
PMID:
23274726
[PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Multi-walled carbon nanotube increases the excitability of hippocampal CA1 neurons through inhibition of potassium channels in rat's brain slices.
Chen T, Yang J, Ren G, Yang Z, Zhang T.
Toxicol Lett. 2012 Dec 26. doi:pii: S0378-4274(12)01442-7. 10.1016/j.toxlet.2012.12.013. [Epub ahead of print]
PMID:
23274715
[PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Validity of the International Classification of Diseases 10th revision code for hyperkalaemia in elderly patients at presentation to an emergency department and at hospital admission.
Fleet JL, Shariff SZ, Gandhi S, Weir MA, Jain AK, Garg AX.
BMJ Open. 2012 Dec 28;2(6). doi:pii: e002011. 10.1136/bmjopen-2012-002011. Print 2012.
PMID:
23274674
[PubMed]
Amiloride attenuates lipopolysaccharide-accelerated atherosclerosis via inhibition of NHE1-dependent endothelial cell apoptosis.
Cui GM, Zhao YX, Zhang NN, Liu ZS, Sun WC, Peng QS.
Acta Pharmacol Sin. 2012 Dec 31. doi: 10.1038/aps.2012.155. [Epub ahead of print]
PMID:
23274414
[PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
New targets for the antitumor activity of gambogic acid in hematologic malignancies.
Yang LJ, Chen Y.
Acta Pharmacol Sin. 2012 Dec 31. doi: 10.1038/aps.2012.163. [Epub ahead of print]
PMID:
23274413
[PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
|
| Formula |
Atomic Number |
Molecular Weight |
Electronegativity (Pauling) |
Density |
Melting Point |
Boiling Point |
Vanderwaals radius |
Ionic radius |
Energy of first ionization |
| K |
19 |
39.0983 g.mol -1 |
0.8 |
0.86 g.cm-3 at 0 °C |
63.2 °C |
760 °C |
275.pm |
0.133 (+1) nm |
418.81 kJ.mol-1 |
|
