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Uses of Potassium Nitrate

Potassium nitrate, also commonly referred to as saltpeter and niter, is an important chemical compound that is denoted by the chemical formula of KNO3. It is naturally occurring source of the mineral nitrogen, which is commonly found in rocks and in soils of certain countries such as India, Egypt, Italy and Spain. Potassium nitrate is a colorless, crystalline compound that has been used for varied purposes for many centuries.

  1. Use as a Fertilizer

    • One of the most important and most common uses of potassium nitrate is as a fertilizer. Nitrogen, potassium and phosphorous are the three major minerals that are required in large amounts by plants for their normal growth. KNO3 provides adequate amounts of potassium and nitrogen required by the plants, helping them in their growth; large quantities of the compound are used as fertilizers worldwide.

    Use in Preservation of Food

    • Since ancient periods, potassium nitrate has been used as a food preservative, particularly for meats. However due to its inconsistent results, it has been replaced by the better and more effective nitrate compounds such as sodium nitrate and nitrite, among others. Despite this, potassium nitrate is still used in the process of curing meat products such as salami and even in the production of brine, which is used to make corned beef.

    Explosives

    • Potassium nitrate is one of the prime components of the compound black powder (gunpowder). When 75 percent of potassium nitrate is mixed with 10 percent sulphur and 15 percent charcoal, the resultant compound formed is gunpowder. This powder has great explosive properties and is used to make bombs, fire crackers and grenades.
      Potassium nitrate is also used a propellant for rockets (amateur solid rockets), which use the same explosive and combustible properties of the compound to aid in the process of rocket propulsion.

    Cigarette Production

    • Potassium nitrate is widely used as a component of cigarettes, mainly in their production, as it greatly helps in regularizing the burning of tobacco by making it burn evenly throughout.

    Other Uses of Potassium Nitrate

    • Various other common uses of potassium nitrate include using it in metal works as a flux agent and also in the production of glass, pyrotechnics and metallurgical reactions, among others.

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