Potassium oxide. Properties, extraction, application

Among the chemical elements, potassium is released by a number of its unique physical and chemical properties. For chemists, it is of interest for its high activity. This substance instantly reacts with oxygen, heating in air leads to its ignition, the product of this reaction is potassium superoxide. Interaction with water and acid solutions leads to rapid ignition and even explosion. Potassium is able to restore sulfuric acid to hydrogen sulfide, sulfur dioxide and sulfur, nitric acid is reduced to nitrogen oxides and molecular nitrogen.

In the periodic system, potassium occupies the cell numbered nineteen. Its belonging to alkali metals explains the silvery-white color and high plasticity of this substance, it is easily cut with a knife and exhibits high chemical activity. This explains the fact that pure potassium does not occur in nature. Among substances in which potassium enters as a constituent element, the most common is sea water, and it can be found in various minerals. The rapid oxidation of this substance results in the fact that the potassium oxide (formula K2O) quickly passes into the peroxide state (K2O4).

Potassium oxide can be obtained by heating the metal to 180 ° C in an oxygen-depleted medium, or by heating a mixture of superoxide with metallic potassium. As an integral part, potassium oxide is found in cement and some types of fertilizers.

For the plant world potassium is of great importance, it is one of the three basic building materials of organic compounds, along with nitrogen and phosphorus. The level of potassium is associated with fructification and further preservation of fruits and tubers. Potassium plays an important role in the transportation of sugar and in the formation of plant stocks, this is manifested in the increase of starch in tubers, rhizomes and roots. Potassium has a beneficial effect on the increase in the density of plant tissues, their stems. The lack of potassium leads to the fact that the plant is not able to properly absorb nitrogen. Plants use potassium hydroxide. It interacts with a variety of substances, providing a normal vital activity of the plant organism.

The lack of potassium in some soils is compensated by the use of a wide range of potassium fertilizers. Their production is based on the use of natural deposits of potassium salts, minerals are called sylvinite and carnallite, sulfuric acid potassium salts include shenite, cainite and langbeinite. The use of minerals makes it possible to obtain fertilizers with a high concentration of potassium.

The most common fertilizer, which includes potassium oxide, is potassium salt. This mixture is a composition of a finely ground mineral of the natural origin of sylvinite, as well as of potassium chloride. Potassium oxide reaches 40%.

A substance with pronounced basic properties can react violently not only with acids, acid oxides and even water. The property of this compound to produce carbon dioxide exchange for oxygen is widely used in gas masks of the insulating principle of action, as well as in submarines. The absorber in this case is an equimolar mixture of sodium peroxide and potassium superoxide. In the case of non-equimolar mixture with excess sodium peroxide, more gas is absorbed than it is released. Two volumes of carbon dioxide release one volume of oxygen. In this case, the pressure drops in a closed space. Excess of superoxide of potassium gives the effect of absorption of two volumes of carbon dioxide with the release of three volumes of oxygen, with the pressure rising. Equimolarity of the mixture makes it possible to achieve an equation of the volumes of absorbed and released gases.

Being a strong oxidizer, peroxides are used in the textile industry for bleaching fabrics.