7691. Potassium Thiocyanate

Nomenclature

CAS number: 333-20-0
Thiocyanic acid potassium salt (1:1); potassium sulfocyanate; potassium rhodanide; Rhocya.
CKNS; mol wt 97.18.
C 12.36%, K 40.23%, N 14.41%, S 33.00%.
KSCN.

Properties

Colorless, deliquesc crystals. d 1.89; mp ≈173°, the fused salt turning brown, then green, blue, and white again on cooling. One gram dissolves in 0.5 ml acetone, 12 ml alcohol, 8 ml boiling alcohol. When dissolved in its own wt of water, the temp drops about 30°. The aq soln is neutral. Poisonous. Keep well closed. LD50 orally in mice, rats: 594, 854 mg/kg, Andersen, Chen, J. Am. Pharm. Assoc. 29, 152 (1940).

Caution

Potential symptoms of overexposure are skin eruptions, psychosis, and collapse.

Use

Manuf artificial mustard oil; printing and dyeing textiles; in photography as intensifier; in analytical chemistry for analysis of the silver ion and indirect determn of chloride, bromide, and iodide.