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Potassium cyanide

Name: Potassium cyanide
Brand: SIGALD

puriss. p.a., ACS reagent, reag. Ph. Eur., ≥97.0%

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About This Item

Linear Formula:

KCN

CAS Number:

151-50-8

Molecular Weight:

65.12

UNSPSC Code:

12352302

NACRES:

NB.24

PubChem Substance ID:

329753701

EC Number:

205-792-3

Beilstein/REAXYS Number:

3593645

MDL number:

MFCD00011397

Assay:

≥97.0%

Form:

crystals

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Properties

agency

ISO, USP/NF, reag. Ph. Eur.

grade

ACS reagent, puriss. p.a.

assay

≥97.0%

form

crystals

impurities

≤0.01% thiocyanate (SCN)

pH

11.5 (20 °C, 20 g/L)

mp

634 °C (lit.)

anion traces

chloride (Cl^-): ≤200 mg/kg, phosphate (PO₄^3-): ≤50 mg/kg, sulfate (SO₄^2-): ≤400 mg/kg, sulfide (S^2-): ≤5 mg/kg

cation traces

Fe: ≤100 mg/kg, Na: ≤5000 mg/kg, Pb: ≤2 mg/kg

SMILES string

[K]C#N

InChI

1S/CN.K/c1-2;

InChI key

YUZRZFQHUCKACF-UHFFFAOYSA-N

Description

General description

Potassium cyanide, a potassium salt, is a colorless hygroscopic compound.

Application

Potassium cyanide has been used:

in the reduction of cassiterite for Sn isotope analysis
gold microelectrode fabrication
to prepare the calibration curve for colorimetric determination of hydrocyanic acid (HCN) levels in Sorghum and Sudangrass species

Biochem/physiol Actions

Potassium cyanide (KCN) is useful in dyeing, printing, photography, metal cleaning, and manufacturing. It is considered a reversible cytochrome oxidase inhibitor that blocks cellular respiration. KCN is poisonous when inhaled or ingested.