EXPERIMENT NO.

PREPARATION OF POTASSIUM CHLORIDE

AIM – To prepare Potassium Chloride in laboratory

APPARATUS – Beaker(500ml), Beaker -2 Nos.(250ml), Funnel, Pipette, Stirrer, Weighing

balance

REACTION – KOH + HCl → KCl + H2O

THEORY- In the laboratory KCl can be prepared by following methods
(1) Combine potassium hydroxide with hydrochloric acid. This is an acid-base reaction, and it
is the easiest way to prepare potassium chloride. The reaction is : KOH + HCl → KCl + H2O.
This conversion is an acid-base neutralization reaction. The resulting salt can be purified by re-
crystallization. Solubility of KCl in Water (gm KCl / kg of solvent at 25 °C) is 360.

(2) Replace the anion of a weak acid with the anion of a strong acid. As an example, potassium
carbonate is the potassium salt of a weak acid-carbonic acid-H2CO3. Reacting it with
hydrochloric acid forms potassium chloride, while regenerating the carbonic acid.
The reaction is K2CO3 + 2 HCl → 2 KCl + H2CO3

(3) Exchange the anions of two salts. This reaction is useful if one of the salts of the products is
insoluble. In the case of potassium chloride, potassium sulphate can be reacted with barium
chloride.
The reaction is K2SO4 + BaCl2 → 2 KCl + BaSO4.
Barium sulphate is one of the most water insoluble substances known.

Potassium chloride occurs naturally as sylvite, carnallite, and potash, and it can be extracted
from these ores. It is also extracted from salt water and can be manufactured by crystallization
from solution; flotation or electrostatic separation from suitable minerals. It is a by-product of
the making of nitric acid from potassium nitrate and hydrochloric acid.

The majority of the potassium chloride produced is used for making fertilizer, since the
growth of many plants is limited by their potassium intake. As a chemical feedstock, it is used
for the manufacture of potassium hydroxide and potassium metal. It is also used in
medicine, lethal injections, scientific applications, food processing, and as a sodium-free
substitute for table salt (sodium chloride). Potassium chloride is used in some de-icing products
that are designed to be safer for pets and plants, though these are inferior in melting quality
to calcium chloride [lowest usable temperature 12 °F (−11 °C) v. −25 °F (−32 °C)]. It is also
used in various brands of bottled water, as well as in bulk quantities for fossil
fuel drilling purposes. Along with sodium chloride and lithium chloride, potassium chloride is
used as a flux for the gas welding of aluminium.
Potash is a mixture of potassium containing compounds with a high KCl content. Unlike white-
colourless KCl, potash varies in colour from pink or red to white depending on the mining and
recovery process used. White potash, sometimes referred to as soluble potash, is usually higher
in analysis and is used primarily for making liquid starter fertilizers. Potassium chloride was
historically known as "muriate of potash". This name is occasionally still encountered in
association with its use as a fertilizer.
PROPERTIES AND USES

(1) Molar mass : 74.5513 g·mol−1 (2) Appearance : white crystalline solid (3) Odor : odourless
(4) Density 1.984 gm/cc (5) Melting point 770 °C (6) Boiling point 1,420 °C
(7) Solubility in water : 344 g/L (20 °C), 567 g/L (100 °C) soluble in glycerol, alkalies and
slightly soluble in alcohol, insoluble in ether (8) Acidity (pKa) : 7
(9) Refractive index(nD) : 1.4902 (589 nm)

PROCEDURE :
(1) Prepare 100 ml of 1 N KOH solution in a beaker by dissolving solid Potassium hydroxide in
distilled water
(2) Prepare 100 ml of 1 N HCl solution by diluting concentrated HCl(36%)
(3) Add 100 ml of 1 N KOH solution in 1 litre beaker
(4) Add 100 ml of 1 N HCl to above solution
(5) Use stirrer to improve the contact and increase the rate
(6) Heat is generated due to exothermic nature of Reaction
(7) KCl is crystallized by evaporation and cooling
(8) Dry the crystals and weigh them accurately

OBSERVATION :
(1) Normality of HCl solution used for reaction =
(2) Volume of HCl solution used for reaction =
(3) Normality of KOH solution used for reaction =
(4) Volume of KOH solution used for reaction =
(5) Mass of dry KCl produced =

CALCULATION :
(1) Theoretical amount of KCl which can be produced at 100 % yield :
1 litre 1 N KOH contains 1 gm mole KOH
100 ml 1 N KOH contains 0.1 gm mole KOH
Complete conversion and 100 % yield gives 0.1 gm mole KCl = (0.1)(74.6) = 7.46 gm KCl

(2) Actual yield of KCl produced = gm of dry KCl produced practillay × 100
Theoretical amount of KCl produced

= × 100
7.46 gm
EXPERIMENT NO.

PREPARATION OF POTASSIUM SULPHATE

AIM – To prepare Potassium Sulphate in laboratory

APPARATUS – Beaker(500ml), Beaker -2 Nos.(250ml), Funnel, Pipette, Stirrer, Weighing

balance

REACTION – 2KOH(aq) + H2SO4 (aq) → K2 SO4 (aq) + 2H2O(l)

THEORY- In the laboratory K2 SO4 can be prepared by following methods

(1) You need a base which supplies the cation (K+) and an acid which supplies the anion (SO4
2-)
React sulfuric acid and potassium hydroxide as above, in the appropriate concentrations and
relative volumes. Then evaporate off the water leaving solid K2SO4 crystals.

2KOH(aq) + H2SO4 (aq) → K2 SO4 (aq) + 2H2O(l)

Using the formula H2SO4 + 2KOH = K2SO4 + H2O, we combined 5g of potassium hydroxide
that was dissolved in water with sulfuric acid to synthesize 6.4 grams of potassium sulfate.

(2) You need an acid that supplies the anion and a carbonate that supplies the cation
H2SO4 (aq) + K2CO3 (aq) -------> K2SO4 (aq) + CO2 (g) + H2O (l)
The carbon dioxide gas will bubble off on its own. So once again, you simply have to evaporate
off the water to obtain the desired solid salt crystals.

(3) Potassium sulfate can be synthesised by reaction of potassium chloride with sulfuric
acid according to the Leblanc process. Potassium sulfate is produced according to the following
reaction:

2 KCl + H2SO4 → 2 HCl + K2SO4

Potassium sulfate (K2SO4) (in British English potassium sulphate, also called sulphate of
potash, arcanite, or archaically known as potash of sulfur) is a non-flammable white
crystalline salt which is soluble in water. The chemical is commonly used infertilizers,
providing both potassium and sulfur.

The anhydrous crystals form a double six-sided pyramid, but are in fact classified as rhombic.
They are transparent, very hard and have a bitter, salty taste. The salt is soluble in water, but
insoluble in solutions of potassium hydroxide (sp. gr. 1.35), or in absoluteethanol. It melts at
1,067 °C (1,953 °F

The principal use of potassium sulfate is as a fertilizer. K2SO4 does not contain chloride,
which can be harmful to some crops. Potassium sulfate is preferred for these crops, which
include tobacco and some fruits and vegetables. Crops that are less sensitive may still require
potassium sulfate for optimal growth if the soil accumulates chloride from irrigation water.[6]

The crude salt is also used occasionally in the manufacture of glass. Potassium sulfate is also
used as a flash reducer in artillerypropellant charges. It reduces muzzle flash, flareback and
blast overpressure.

Sometimes used as an alternative blast media similar to soda in soda blasting as it is harder and
similarly water soluble

PROPERTIES AND USES

(1) Molar mass : 174.259 g/mol (2) Appearance : white solid (3) Odor : odourless

(4) Density 2.66 g/cm3 (5) Melting point 1069 °C (6) Boiling point 1689 °C

(7) Solubility in water : 111 g/L (20 °C), 240 g/L (100 °C) slightly soluble in glycerol
insoluble in acetone, alcohol,CS2 (8) Acidity (pKa) : 7

PROCEDURE :

(1) Prepare 100 ml of 1 N KOH solution in a beaker by dissolving solid Potassium hydroxide in
distilled water

(2) Prepare 100 ml of 1 N H2SO4solution by diluting concentrated H2SO4

(3) Add 100 ml of 1 N KOH solution in 1 litre beaker

(4) Add 100 ml of 1 N H2SO4 to above solution

(5) Use stirrer to improve the contact and increase the rate

(6) Heat is generated due to exothermic nature of Reaction

(7) K2SO4 is crystallized by evaporation and cooling

(8) Dry the crystals and weigh them accurately

OBSERVATION :

(1) Normality of H2SO4 solution used for reaction =

(2) Volume of H2SO4 solution used for reaction =

(3) Normality of KOH solution used for reaction =

(4) Volume of KOH solution used for reaction =

(5) Mass of dry K2SO4 produced =

CALCULATION :

(1) Theoretical amount of K2SO4which can be produced at 100 % yield :

1 litre 1 N KOH contains 1 gm mole KOH

100 ml 1 N KOH contains 0.1 gm mole KOH

Complete conversion and 100 % yield gives 0.05 gm mole K2SO4 = (0.05)(174.26) = 8.713 gm
K2SO4

(2) Actual yield of K2SO4 produced = gm of dry K2SO4 produced practically × 100
Theoretical amount of K2SO4 produced

= × 100
8.713 gm