Potassium Chloride Uses

There are some chemical compounds whose uses span nearly every spectrum of science, ranging from plants to humans and physics. One such compound that has myriad uses is potassium chloride. Potassium chloride is a chemical compound which is made of potassium and chlorine together. It actually resembles regular salt, which is basically sodium chloride, in that potassium chloride is odorless, colorless and has minute face centered cubic crystals. There are various potassium chloride uses, which have been enlisted below.

Potassium Chloride Applications

Fertilizers
One of the most common uses is in the manufacture of fertilizers. Potassium chloride is sometimes known as muriate of potash when it is used as a fertilizer. This is one of the main applications of potassium chloride because potassium is needed by plants for their normal growth, however, their potassium intake from the soil is usually very limited. Thus, they need supplementation in the form of fertilizers which contain potassium.

Hypokalemia
One of the main potassium chloride medical uses is in the treatment of hypokalemia, that is, deficiency of potassium in the body. However, this method of treatment is only to be used in those patients who cannot take in potassium by any other means. This is used in patients that have hypokalemia without alkalosis. It's also used to prevent the occurrence of hypokalemia. This medication is usually available in powder form, as the tablet form can be irritating to chew on. There are a few extended release tablets available as well. However, it is always better to opt for high potassium foods instead. This is because supplements are to be used sparingly, as there are quite a few potassium chloride side effects, like arrhythmias and muscle weakness. So, this is to be strictly used under medical supervision. This medication is not to be used in people that are suffering from kidney failure.

Lethal Injections
One of the controversial potassium chloride uses is in making lethal injection preparations. Potassium chloride constitutes one-third of the content of lethal injections, the other constituents being a barbiturate and a paralytic. The potassium chloride directly acts on the heart and leads to sudden cardiac arrest.

Other Uses
There are quite a few more uses. These include:

• In some very rare cases, potassium chloride is used to induce abortion.
• This is used as one of the substitutes for table salt so as to make it sodium free.
• One of the uses in everyday life is its use as a water softener, instead of sodium chloride.
• Potassium chloride was also used as one of the ingredients in fire extinguishers because it was seen to be more effective than sodium bicarbonate. However, once potassium bicarbonate came into the picture, people seemed to prefer using this to potassium chloride.
• One of the chemical applications of potassium chloride is its use as a flux for gas wielding of aluminum, along with other agents like sodium and lithium chloride.
• Due to the tendency of potassium chloride to be a part of exothermic reactions, this compound has also figured in many heat packs.
• Sometimes, potassium chloride also figures in bottled water.
• One of the lesser known uses of potassium chloride is its use in calibration of radiation monitoring equipment.
• Potassium chloride is also used in water when this solution is to be used as an aid in petroleum and natural gas preparation.

This is an extremely useful compound whose uses span medicine, chemistry and physics. However, despite the many potassium chloride benefits, when this compound is being used for the treatment of hypokalemia, it is strictly to be used under medical supervision, because on overdose of this compound could lead to irreversible damage, including cardiac arrest.