Potassium iodide

PROPERTIES

Potassium iodide is an odorless, white to off-white crystalline solid with a strong, bitter taste. It is soluble in water, ethanol, and acetone. Stable under normal conditions. It is less hygroscopic than sodium iodide, what makes it easier to work with. Incompatibile with diazonium salts, diisopropyl peroxydicarbonate, oxidants, bromine and chlorine trifluorides, fluorine perchlorate, calomel (mercurous chloride), potassium chlorate, metallic salts, tartaric and other acids.

APPLICATIONS

MEDICINE

Saturated solutions of potassium iodide (SSKI) can be used in treating overactive thyroid or to help prepare the thyroid gland for thyroid surgery. It has also been used to treat certain skin conditions. For example, SSKI has been proposed as a topical treatment for a chronic fungal disease, sporotrichosis. Moreover, it has been used as a mucolytic agent, as well.

Ther is a Lugol's solution, which is a clear dark brown liquid, consisting of iodine and potassium iodide in purified water. It is an effective bactericide and fungicide.

RADIATION PROTECTION

Potassium iodide protects the thyroid gland by blocking the thyroidal uptake of radioiodine what has the application in nuclear medicine scintigraphy and therapy with some radioiodinated compounds that are not targeted to the thyroid. Potassium iodide may also be used to protect the thyroid from radioactive iodine in the event of nuclear attack.

FOOD

It is the most common additive which is used to make table salt "iodized”. It is added to prevent goitre and other disorders due to iodine deficiency. Potassium iodide enriched rice, flour and other food items are made available in developing countries. Potassium iodide is used as a nutritional supplement in animal feeds, as well.

LABORATORY

It is often used as a source of iodide ion in organic synthesis. KI is also used as a fluorescence quenching agent in biomedical research.

PHOTOGRAPHY

Potassium iodide is used in photography, as a precursor to silver(I) iodide for high speed photographic film.

FIBER MANUFACTURING

Potassium iodide is used as a heat stabilizer and a catalyst in synthetic fiber manufacturing.

Other uses:
Component in the electrolyte of dye sensitized solar cells (DSSC) along with iodine.

Component in some disinfectants and hair treatment chemicals.

Drinking water treatment.

Industrial uses like making dyes, soaps, lubricants.

Measurement of the energy of gamma rays.

Preparation of aryl iodides from arenediazonium salts.