7655. Potassium Permanganate

Nomenclature

CAS number: 7722-64-7
Permanganic acid (HMnO4) potassium salt (1:1); chameleon mineral.
KMnO4; mol wt 158.03.
K 24.74%, Mn 34.76%, O 40.50%.

Description and references

Prepn from manganese ore by electrolytic oxidation: Faith, Keyes & Clark's Industrial Chemicals, F. A. Lowenheim, M. K. Moran, Eds. (Wiley-Interscience, New York, 4th ed., 1975) pp 679-683. Toxicity study: H. F. Smyth et al., Am. Ind. Hyg. Assoc. J. 30, 470 (1969).

Properties

Dark purple or bronze-like, odorless crystals. Almost opaque by transmitted light and of a blue metallic luster by reflected light. Sweet with astringent aftertaste; stable in air. Dec ≈240° with evolution of oxygen. d 2.7. Soluble in 14.2 parts cold, 3.5 parts boiling water. Dec by alc and many other organic solvents, also by concd acids with liberation of oxygen; with HCl, chlorine is liberated. Readily dec by many reducing substances, such as ferrous salts, iodides, oxalates, etc., especially in the presence of an acid. Oxidizer. Take great care in handling as explosions may occur if it is brought into contact with organic or other readily oxidizable substances, either in soln or in the dry state. Incompat. Alcohol, arsenites, bromides, iodides, hydrochloric acid, charcoal; organic substances generally; ferrous or mercurous salts, hypophosphites, hyposulfites, sulfites, peroxides, oxalates. LD50 orally in rats: 1.09 g/kg (Smyth).

Caution

Dilute solns are mildly irritating and high concns are caustic.

Use

Bleaching resins, waxes, fats, oils, straw, cotton, silk and other fibers and chamois skins; dyeing wood brown; printing fabrics; washing CO2 in manuf mineral waters; exterminating Oidium tuckeri; photography; tanning leathers; purifying water; with formaldehyde soln to expel formaldehyde gas for disinfecting; as an important oxidizing reagent in analytical and synthetic organic chemistry.

Therapeutic Category

Anti-infective (topical).

Therapeutic Category (Veterinary)

Antiseptic (topical), astringent, deodorant.

Keywords

Antiseptic/Disinfectant; Peroxides/Permanganates