Characteristic

 

Potassium chloride (also known as KCl or potassium salt) is a metal halide salt composed of potassium and chlorine. It is odorless and has a white or colorless vitreous crystal appearance. 

Chemical formula：KCl

Molar mass：74.5513 g/mol

Appearance：white crystalline solid

Odor：odorless

Density：1.984 g/cm³

Melting point：770 °C (1,420 °F; 1,040 K)

Boiling point：1,420 °C (2,590 °F; 1,690 K)

Solubility in water：217.1 g/L (0 °C);253.9 g/L (20 °C);360.5 g/L (100 °C)

Solubility：Soluble in glycerol, alkalies

Slightly soluble in alcohol Insoluble in ether

Solubility in ethanol:0.00288 g/L (25 °C)

Acidity (pKa)：~7

Magnetic susceptibility (χ)：−39.0·10⁻⁶ cm³/mol

Refractive index (nD)：1.4902 (589 nm)

Crystal structure：face centered cubic

 

Application

 

Potassium chloride is a salt commonly used in the preparation of phosphate buffered saline and for the extraction and solubilization of proteins. It is a good potassium source. Also used in the hypotonic KCl-propidium iodide protocol for univariate analysis of metaphase chromosomes ; dissociation of eukaryotic ribosomes into subunits by high concentrations of potassium (0.3-1.0 M); preparation of mitochondria, provides an ionic osmotic support for those tissues that assume a gelatinous consistency upon homogenization.