Potassium

Metals -> Elements, Metallic

Flammable agents - 3rd degree

Major ion

0.86 at 68 °F (USCG, 1999) - Less dense than water; will float

0.862 at 20 °C

0.856 g/cm³

0.89 @25 °C

Soluble in liquid ammonia, ethylenediamine, aniline; soluble in several metals; forms liquid alloys with other alkali metals

SOL IN ACID, MERCURY

Solubility in water: reaction

1425 °F at 760 mmHg (USCG, 1999)

759 °C

765.5 °C

759 °C @760 [mm Hg]

145 °F (USCG, 1999)

63.5 °C

63.2 °C

63.5 °C

8 mm Hg at 432 °C

Vapor pressure at 20 °C: negligible

Danger

H260: In contact with water releases flammable gases which may ignite spontaneously [Danger Substances and mixtures which in contact with water, emit flammable gases]

P223, P231+P232, P260, P264, P280, P301+P330+P331, P302+P335+P334, P302+P361+P354, P304+P340, P305+P354+P338, P316, P321, P363, P370+P378, P402+P404, P405, and P501 (click each P-code to see the statement)

Danger

H260 (100%): In contact with water releases flammable gases which may ignite spontaneously [Danger Substances and mixtures which in contact with water, emit flammable gases]

P223, P231+P232, P260, P264, P264+P265, P280, P301+P330+P331, P302+P335+P334, P302+P361+P354, P304+P340, P305+P354+P338, P316, P317, P321, P363, P370+P378, P402+P404, P405, and P501 (click each P-code to see the statement)

Chemical: Potassium

Status: Active Update: 12-12-2019 https://echa.europa.eu/registration-dossier/-/registered-dossier/26030

Potassium: HSNO Approval: HSR001290 Approved with controls

The New Jersey Worker and Community Right to Know Act requires public and private employers to provide information about hazardous substances at their workplaces. (N.J.S.A. 34:5A-1 et. seq.)

Dangerous When Wet

Dangerous When Wet

Combustible. IGNITES WHEN EXPOSED TO WATER OR MOISTURE. Flammable gas is produced on contact with water. Reacts violently with water, forming flammable and explosive hydrogen gas. May ignite spontaneously in air. (USCG, 1999)

Excerpt from ERG Guide 138 [Substances - Water-Reactive (Emitting Flammable Gases)]:

· Produce flammable gases on contact with water.

Highly flammable. Many reactions may cause fire or explosion. Gives off irritating or toxic fumes (or gases) in a fire. Risk of fire and explosion on contact with acids, halogens or water.

Extremely dangerous in contact with moisture or water, releasing hydrogen with sufficient heat to cause ignition or explosion. May ignite spontaneously in air or oxygen. Burns violently, accompanied by explosions which cause spattering...

Air contact causes spontaneous ignition. Violent reaction with water, forming heat, spattering, corrosive potassium hydroxide and explosive hydrogen. The heat from the reaction can ignite the hydrogen that is generated.

May ignite combustible materials if they are damp.

SOLID: Will burn skin and eyes. (USCG, 1999)

Excerpt from ERG Guide 138 [Substances - Water-Reactive (Emitting Flammable Gases)]:

· Inhalation or contact with vapors, substance or decomposition products may cause severe injury or death.

Metals, Alkali, Very Active

Metals, Alkali, Very Active

Strong Reducing Agent

Strong Reducing Agent

Excerpt from ERG Guide 138 [Substances - Water-Reactive (Emitting Flammable Gases)]:

Excerpt from ERG Guide 138 [Substances - Water-Reactive (Emitting Flammable Gases)]:

Use special powder, dry sand. NO other agents. Combat fire from a sheltered position.

Fresh air, rest. Half-upright position. Artificial respiration may be needed. Refer for medical attention.

Remove contaminated clothes. Rinse skin with plenty of water or shower. Refer for medical attention .

First rinse with plenty of water for several minutes (remove contact lenses if easily possible), then refer for medical attention.

Rinse mouth. Refer for medical attention .

· CALL 911. Then call emergency response telephone number on shipping paper. If shipping paper not available or no answer, refer to appropriate telephone number listed on the inside back cover.

· ELIMINATE all ignition sources (no smoking, flares, sparks or flames) from immediate area.

EYES or SKIN: flush with water; treat caustic burns. (USCG, 1999)

Excerpt from ERG Guide 138 [Substances - Water-Reactive (Emitting Flammable Gases)]:

General First Aid:

PROTECT AGAINST PHYSICAL DAMAGE. KEEP AWAY FROM WATER OR LOCATION WHERE WATER MAY BE NEEDED FOR FIGHTING FIRE... AVOID HIGH TEMP. STORE UNDER NITROGEN OR KEROSINE. NEVER STORE UNDER HALOGENATED HYDROCARBONS. DETACHED FIRE-RESISTIVE BUILDING RECOMMENDED FOR QUANTITY STORAGE.

Potassium must be stored to avoid contact with carbon monoxide and moisture, compounds of heavy metals (such as silver oxide and silver chloride) and carbon tetrachloride since violent reactions occur. Store under nitrogen, mineral oil, or kerosene. Sources of ignition such as smoking and create a potential fire or explosion hazard. Protect containers against physical damage. Wherever potassium is used, handled, manufactured, or stored, use explosion-proof electrical equipment and fittings.

Keep under liquid containing no oxygen, e.g., liquid petrolatum, petroleum, etc.

Spill Handling: Evacuate persons not wearing protective equipment from area of spill or leak until clean-up is complete. Remove all ignition sources. Collect powdered material in the most convenient and safe manner and deposit in sealed containers. Ventilate area after clean-up is complete. Keep potassium out of a confined space, such as a sewer, because of the possibility of an explosion, unless the sewer is designed to prevent the build-up of explosive concentrations. ...

OXIDE COATED K SHOULD BE DESTROYED BY BURNING. ... LARGE QUANTITIES OF K CAN BE DISPOSED OF BY SIMPLY CUTTING IT INTO SMALL PIECES & PLACING IT IN OPEN WASTE SPACE TO REACT WITH MOISTURE IN AIR & GRADUALLY TURN TO POTASSIUM HYDROXIDE. POTASSIUM MAY BE REACTED WITH ETHANOL TO GIVE STABLE PRODUCT. DO NOT DISPOSE OF IT... IT SHOULD BE STORED IN DETACHED BUILDING WHICH IS FIREPROOF & NOT WHERE IT CAN COME IN CONTACT WITH MOISTURE, POWERFUL OXIDIZING MATERIALS OR HIGH TEMP.

Excerpt from ERG Guide 138 [Substances - Water-Reactive (Emitting Flammable Gases)]:

Excerpt from ERG Guide 138 [Substances - Water-Reactive (Emitting Flammable Gases)]:

SRP: The most favorable course of action is to use an alternative chemical product with less inherent propensity for occupational exposure or environmental contamination. Recycle any unused portion of the material for its approved use or return it to the manufacturer or supplier. Ultimate disposal of the chemical must consider: the material's impact on air quality; potential migration in soil or water; effects on animal, aquatic, and plant life; and conformance with environmental and public health regulations.

Dermatotoxin - Skin burns.

Hyperkalemia is the most common and life-threatening adverse effect of potassium administration and can develop rapidly. This condition can manifest as potentially fatal bradycardia, asystole, and ventricular fibrillation.

Hyperkalemia is the most prevalent and life-threatening hazard of potassium therapy. ECG changes are the most critical indicator of asymptomatic potassium toxicity. They include tall, peaked T waves, ST-segment depression, the disappearance of the P wave, QT interval prolongation, and widening the QRS complex with slurring. Clinical signs and symptoms of hyperkalemia include paresthesias, drowsiness, mental confusion, flaccid paralysis, gray pallor, cold skin, peripheral vascular collapse with a fall in blood pressure, critical cardiac arrhythmias, and heart block.

Cough. Sore throat. Burning sensation.

Pain. Blisters. Serious skin burns.

Severe deep burns. Loss of vision.

Burning sensation. Shock or collapse.

... does not occur in nature as a free metal

The abundance of potassium in the earth's crust is 2.59% ... Its extent in seawater is almost as great due to the weathering of potassium-containing minerals. /Potassium in nature/

Potassium is present in the composition of the kernel of Black Walnut /Potassium in nature/

Potassium in seawater at a concentration of 3.8X10-5 ug/L /Potassium in nature/

For more Natural Pollution Sources (Complete) data for POTASSIUM, ELEMENTAL (6 total), please visit the HSDB record page.

/SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS/ Harmful Effects and Symptoms Short Term Exposure: Potassium can affect you when breathed in. Inhalation of dusts or mists can irritate the eyes, nose, throat and lungs with sneezing, coughing and sore throat. Higher exposures may cause a build-up of fluid in the lungs (pulmonary edema). This can cause death. Skin and eye contact can cause severe burns leading to permanent damage. Long Term Exposure: Prolonged exposure to fumes can cause sores of the inner nose and nasal septum. Fumes can irritate the lungs; bronchitis may develop.

Basic treatment: Establish a patent airway (oropharyngeal or nasopharyngeal airway, if needed). Suction if necessary. Watch for signs of respiratory insufficiency and assist ventilations if needed. Administer oxygen by nonrebreather mask at 10 to 15 L/min. Monitor for pulmonary edema and treat if necessary ... . Monitor for shock and treat if necessary ... . Anticipate seizures and treat if necessary ... . For eye contamination, flush eyes immediately with water. Irrigate each eye continuously with 0.9% saline (NS) during transport ... . Do not use emetics. For ingestion, rinse mouth and administer 5 ml/kg up to 200 ml of water for dilution if the patient can swallow, has a strong gag reflex, and does not drool ... . Cover skin burns with dry sterile dressings after decontamination ... . /Poisons A and B/

Advanced treatment: Consider orotracheal or nasotracheal intubation for airway control in the patient who is unconscious, has severe pulmonary edema, or is in severe respiratory distress. Positive-pressure ventilation techniques with a bag valve mask device may be beneficial. Consider drug therapy for pulmonary edema ... . Consider administering a beta agonist such as albuterol for severe bronchospasm ... . Monitor cardiac rhythm and treat arrhythmias as necessary ... . Start IV administration of D5W /SRP: "To keep open", minimal flow rate/. Use 0.9% saline (NS) or lactated Ringer's if signs of hypovolemia are present. For hypotension with signs of hypovolemia, administer fluid cautiously. Watch for signs of fluid overload ... . Treat seizures with diazepam or lorazepam ... . Use proparacaine hydrochloride to assist eye irrigation ... . /Poisons A and B/

Potassium

Major ion

Smith, C.D. and Nowell, L.H., 2024. Health-Based Screening Levels for evaluating water-quality data (3rd ed.). DOI:10.5066/F71C1TWP

Potassium maintains an electrolyte gradient on cell surfaces, keeping at specific concentrations inside and outside of the cell; this impacts fluid and electrolyte balance, nerve transmission, muscle contraction, as well as cardiac and kidney function. Clinical evidence has associated potassium intake with lower blood pressure in adults, reducing the risk stroke and heart disease. Dietary potassium may exert beneficial effects on bone loss in the elderly and kidney stones. Consumption of white vegetables, which are normally high in potassium, is associated with a lower risk of stroke. **A note on gastrointestinal lesions** Potassium in solid oral preparations (for example, tablets) can cause ulcerative or stenotic lesions in the esophagus and stomach. Use diluted liquid potassium preparations or injection preparations if there are concerns about gastrointestinal health.

Potassium ion is the primary intracellular cation found in virtually all body tissues. The total amount of body potassium in adults is estimated at 45 millimole (mmol)/kg body weight (about 140 g for an adult weighing 175 pounds; 1 mmol = 1 milliequivalent or 39.1 mg of potassium). Potassium mainly stays in cells, and a small amount can be found in the extracellular fluid. The amount of potassium that stays in the cell (intracellular) is 30 times that of extracellular concentration, creating a transmembrane gradient, regulated by the sodium-potassium (Na+/K+) ATPase transporter. This is an important gradient for nerve conduction, muscle contractions, and renal function. Vomiting, diarrhea, renal disease, medications, and other conditions that alter potassium excretion or shift it inside or outside of cells. In healthy patients individuals with normal renal function, markedly high or low potassium levels are rare. **Effect on blood pressure** Potassium decreases reduces intravascular volume, by reducing sodium reabsorption through an increase in urinary sodium excretion. This short-term effect, however, does not explain the long-term effects of potassium on blood pressure. Increased plasma potassium levels that occur through intake are associated with vasodilation occurring via stimulation of the sodium-potassium adenosine triphosphatase pump (Na+/-K+ATPase) and opening of potassium channels of the sodium-potassium adenosine triphosphatase pump. Other possible mechanisms of action for potassium may include alterations in barroreflex sensitivity and hormone sensitivity in vascular smooth muscle and cells of the sympathetic nervous system. **Effect on electrolyte balance and body systems** The potassium gradient across the membrane of a cell regulates cell membrane potential, maintained predominantly by the sodium-potassium (Na+/-K+ ATPase pump). Transmembrane electro-chemical gradients encourage diffusion of Na+ extracellularly and K+ intracellularly. Potassium supplementation prevents hypokalemia to maintain this balance and is often used in an oral solution or injection form in the clinical setting, preventing harmful effects such as arrhythmias, abnormal muscle function, and neurological disturbances. When activated, the Na+/-K+ ATPase pump exchanges two extracellular K+ ions for three intracellular sodium (Na+) ions, impacting membrane potential via either excitation or inhibition. This is especially important in the homeostasis of the nervous system, kidney, and cardiac muscle tissue. The body and cell distributions of potassium in normal conditions are known as internal and external balance, respectively. Reduced serum potassium (or imbalance) increases the risk of ventricular arrhythmia, heart failure and left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH).

When taken orally from a dietary source, potassium is mainly absorbed via passive diffusion in the small intestine. Approximately 90% of potassium is absorbed, and maintains concentrations both inside and outside cells. The kidneys can adapt to variable potassium intake in healthy individuals, but a minimum of 5 mmol (about 195 mg) dietary potassium is measured to be excreted in the urine. Some studies have measured the absorption various forms of potassium from dietary supplements. Results from a clinical trial in 2016 showed that potassium gluconate supplements are 94% absorbed, which is similar to the absorption rate from potatoes. An older study advised that liquid forms of potassium are absorbed a few hours post-administration. Enteric coated tablets of potassium chloride are not absorbed as rapidly as liquid forms, due to their delayed release design.

Potassium is excreted primarily in the urine, excreted in small amounts in the stool, and negligibly in perspiration (sweat). The renal system regulates potassium excretion according to dietary intake. Potassium excretion rises quickly in healthy patients after ingestion unless body stores have been depleted. Potassium undergoes glomerular filtration, tubular reabsorption, and distal tubular secretion. Renal clearance of potassium shifts between net tubular secretion and reabsorption, depending on the clinical circumstances.

Potassium is present in almost all body tissues. Approximately 98% of potassium is maintained intracellularly in muscular tissue, the liver, and red blood cells. The remainder is distributed extracellularly.

Potassium is freely filtered in the kidney with most of an ingested amount being reabsorbed into the circulation (70%–80%) by the proximal tubule and loop of Henle. Secretion of potassium by the distal nephron in the kidney varies and dependent on the intracellular potassium concentration, luminal potassium concentration concentration, in addition to cellular permeability.

In synthesis of inorganic potassium compds; inorganic syntheses involving condensation, dehalogenation, reduction, and polymerization reactions.

Laboratory reagent; seeding of combustion gases in magnetohydrodynamic generators

Use of the vaporized metal in turbines has been reported

Impurities: oxygen, carbon, hydrogen, alkali metals, aluminum, calcium, copper, boron and silicon, along with iron, nickel and chromium which are leached from container materials

High purity potassium /potentially/ has the following impurities: <30 ppm O2, <100 ppm transition metals and <50 ppm other alkali metals

(1982) <5.00X10+8 g

(1986) No Data

A continuous process currently in use depends upon the equilibrium that is rapidly established at high temperatures between sodium and potassium metals and sodium and potassium chlorides. The potassium is removed by distillation and, with a constant feed of molten potassium chloride, a continuous process results

Grades: Technical; 99.95% pure

High purity potassium /potentially/ has the following impurities: <30 ppm O2, <100 ppm transition metals and <50 ppm other alkali metals

Potassium: ACTIVE

First prepd in free form by Davy in 1807 by electrolysis of fused potassium hydroxide.