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 Ų
- H-bond donors
- 1
- H-bond acceptors
- 1
- Formal charge
- 0
via PubChem
Research
3,666 papersArticle
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.