Potassium phosphate (K3PO4)-Powder

Characteristic

Tripotassium phosphate, also called potassium phosphate tribasic, is a water-soluble salt which has the chemical formula K₃PO₄.(H₂O)x (x = 0, 3, 7, 9) Tripotassium phosphate is a strong base.

Chemical formula:K₃PO₄

Molar mass:212.27 g/mol

Appearance:White deliquescent powder

Density:2.564 g/cm³ (17 °C)

Melting point:1,380 °C (2,520 °F; 1,650 K)

Solubility in water:90 g/100 mL (20 °C)

Solubility in ethanol:Insoluble

Basicity (pKb):1.6

Crystal structure:Primitive orthorhombic

Application

Potassium phosphate is used as a fertilizer and food additive. It serves as a buffering agent to regulate pH. It is also used in optical modulators and for non-linear optics such as second-harmonic generation (SHG). It is involved in the phase-transfer catalyzed preparation of acetylenes from the corresponding vicinal dibromo compounds through double dehydrobromination. It is also useful for the oxidative coupling of thiols to disulfide.