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potassium hydroxide

Also known as KOH, caustic potash, lye, potassium hydrate, potash lye, E525

inorganic compound with the formula KOH

AI overview

Potassium hydroxide is an inorganic chemical compound made of potassium, oxygen, and hydrogen (KOH). It's a widely used substance in industrial processes like soap and detergent manufacturing, as well as in various cleaning products.

AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.

Chemical data

Formula: HKO
Molecular weight: 56.106 g/mol
IUPAC name: potassium hydroxide
SMILES: [OH-].[K+]
InChIKey: KWYUFKZDYYNOTN-UHFFFAOYSA-M
Polar surface area: 1 Å²
H-bond donors: 1
H-bond acceptors: 1
Formal charge: 0

via PubChem

Research

3,666 papers

Skin scraping and a potassium hydroxide mount.ReviewIndian journal of dermatology, venereology and leprology · 2006Kurade SM, Amladi SA, Miskeen AKDOI: 10.4103/0378-6323.25794
Potassium hydroxide mount as an easy bedside test for early detection of cutaneous mucormycosis.Journal of cosmetic dermatology · 2022Agrawal I, Panda M, Sahoo D et al.DOI: 10.1111/jocd.14649
Dermatophyte infections.ReviewAmerican family physician · 2003Hainer BL
Potassium Hydroxide-Mediated Pretreatment of Sugarcane Bagasse: High-Efficiency Enzymatic Hydrolysis and Excellent Sugar Recovery.Applied biochemistry and biotechnology · 2025Wang Z, Chi X, Feng H et al.DOI: 10.1007/s12010-025-05225-0
Comparison of topical potassium hydroxide 5% solution with cryotherapy in the treatment of patients with genital warts: A randomized controlled clinical trial.International journal of STD & AIDS · 2025Javame Ghazvini F, Yazdanpanah MJ, Nahidi Y et al.DOI: 10.1177/09564624241300776
Abnormal cutaneous reaction to potassium hydroxide in molluscum contagiosum in children.Italian journal of dermatology and venereology · 2022DI Brizzi EV, Russo T, Alfano R et al.DOI: 10.23736/S2784-8671.20.06653-5
Potassium hydroxide 5% for the treatment of molluscum contagiosum.Drug and therapeutics bulletin · 2014DOI: 10.1136/dtb.2014.10.0285
Agricultural waste biochar after potassium hydroxide activation: Its adsorbent evaluation and potential mechanism.Bioresource technology · 2023Guan J, Zhu M, Zhou J et al.DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2023.129793

via PubMed

Wikidata facts

Mass: 55.966446332000004
Image: Potassium hydroxide.jpg

Show 14 more facts

Commons category: Potassium hydroxide
melting point: 716
NIOSH Pocket Guide ID: 0523
density: 2.04
boiling point: 1327
vapor pressure: 1
solubility: 107
ceiling exposure limit: 2
canonical SMILES: [OH-].[K+]
chemical formula: KOH
standard enthalpy of formation: -425.8
molar fusion enthalpy: 7.5
molar enthalpy of vaporization: 128.9
refractive index: 1.421

Sources (5)

via Wikidata · CC0

~10 min read

Article

Potassium hydroxide is an inorganic compound with the formula KOH, and is commonly called caustic potash.

Along with sodium hydroxide (NaOH), KOH is a prototypical strong base. It has many industrial and niche applications, most of which utilize its caustic nature and its reactivity toward acids. About 2.5 million tonnes were produced in 2023. KOH is noteworthy as the precursor to most soft and liquid soaps, as well as numerous potassium-containing chemicals. It is a white solid that is dangerously corrosive.