7620. Potassium Chlorate

Nomenclature

CAS number: 3811-04-9
Chloric acid potassium salt (1:1); potcrate.
ClKO3; mol wt 122.55.
Cl 28.93%, K 31.90%, O 39.17%.
KClO3.

Description and references

Contains at least 99% KClO3. Thermal decompn studies: H. Iwakura et al., Ind. Eng. Chem. Res. 30, 778 (1991).

Properties

Colorless, lustrous crystals, or white granules or powder. d 2.32. mp 350°; dec 635° into perchlorate and oxygen. One gram dissolves slowly in 16.5 ml water, 1.8 ml boiling water, about 50 ml glycerol. Almost insol in alcohol. Oxidizer. Keep out of contact with organic matter or other oxidizable substances. Caution: Explodes with sulfuric acid; inflames with explosion if triturated with any organic substances, sulfur, phosphorus, sulfite, hypophosphite, and other oxidizable substances. Incompat. Iodides, tartaric acid.

Caution

Irritating to G.I. tract, kidney; can cause hemolysis of red blood cells and methemoglobinemia: Clinical Toxicology of Commercial Products, R. E. Gosselin et al., Eds. (Williams & Wilkins, Baltimore, 5th ed., 1984) Section II, p 112; Section III, pp 74-77.

Use

Explosives; fireworks; matches; printing and dyeing cotton and wool black; manuf aniline black and other dyes; source of oxygen; in chemical analyses.

Therapeutic Category

Formerly as topical antiseptic.

Therapeutic Category (Veterinary)

In dilute soln as antiseptic mouthwash.