Potassium Alkali metals

As with other alkali metals, potassium compounds have many uses. For example, almost all of the compound potassium chloride is used in fertilizers. Currently potassium chloride is mined or derived from seawater. Many years ago, potassium was secured for human use by burning wood and plant matter in pots to produce an ash called potash, which was mostly potassium carbonate and used as a caustic, mainly for making soap when mixed with fats. 

The three alkali-metals potassium, rubidium, and caesium form numbers 4, 6, and 8 of the even series of the most strongly electropositive group of the periodic classification, and have the atomic-sequence numbers 19, 37, and 55, differing at each step by 18 units, the atomic number of rubidium being thus exactly the mean of the atomic numbers of potassium and caesium. The increase by 18 units... 

Of the alkali metals, potassium is a more effective catalyst than sodium, while lithium has only limited applications as catalyst. Unlike sodium, potassium also catalyzes certain cyclialkylation reactions, and thus provides new methods for the synthesis of a variety of cyclic compounds. 

Like the other alkali metals, potassium is very active. It reacts with water violendy and gives off hydrogen gas ... 

Some radioactive nuclides are especially damaging because they tend to concentrate in particular parts of the body. For example, because both strontium and calcium are alkaline earth metals in group 2 on the periodic table, they combine with other elements in similar ways. Therefore, if radioactive strontium-90 is ingested, it concentrates in the bones in substances that would normally contain calcium. This can lead to bone cancer or leukemia. For similar reasons, radioactive cesium-137 can enter the cells of the body in place of its fellow alkali metal potassium, leading to tissue damage. Non-radioactive iodine and radioactive iodine-131 are both absorbed by thyroid glands. Because iodine-131 is one of the radioactive nuclides produced in nuclear power plants, the... 

Period 4 includes eighteen elements, eight as before from alkali metal potassium, K, to inert gas krypton, Kr, with ten elements inserted between calcium, Ca, and gallium, Ga. 

AMMONIUM NITRATE (6484-52-2) A strong oxidizer. An ingredient in dynamite. Violent reaction and/or the formation of explosive mixtures with hot water, reducing agents, combustible materials, organic materials, ammonium dichromate, barium chloride, barium nitrate, charcoal, cyanoguanidine, phosphorus, potassium chromate, potassium dichromate, potassium nitrate, potassium permanganate, sodium chloride, finely divided metals. Forms explosive or heat- and shock-sensitive compounds with acetic acid, alkali metals (potassium, sodium, etc.), ammonia, nitric acid, sodium hypochlorite, sulfur, urea. At elevated temperatures, contained or confined material may explode violently. 

BENZINOFORM (56-23-5) Becomes corrosive on contact with water. Explosive reaction on contact with burning wax or uranium, alkali metals, potassium sulfur diimide, triethylalu-luinum, triethyldialuminum trichloride. Oxidative decomposition at elevated temperatures ... 

BINITROBENZENES (99-65-0 100-25-4 528-29-0 25154-54-8) Combustible solid (flash point 302°F/150°C cc). Shock- and friction-sensitive explosive. Heat under confinement can cause explosion. Contact with strong oxidizers may cause fire and explosions. Mixtures with nitric acid are highly explosive. Incompatible with caustics, alkali metals, potassium, reducing agents. Attacks some plastics. 

---