Potassium Hydroxide

Potassium Hydroxide

Potassium hydroxide, also commonly called caustic potash, is produced in the United States by the electrolysis of potassium chloride brine in electrolytic cells. When potassium chloride brine is fed to the electrolytic cell, the process yields a solution of potassium hydroxide and co-products of chlorine and hydrogen.

The most important global players in manufacturing KOH is mention in following:

  • Airedale Chemical Company Limited (UK)
  • Altair Chimica SpA (Italy)
  • American Elements (USA)
  • Ashta Chemicals, Inc. (USA)
  • Chengdu Huarong Chemical Company Limited (China)
  • Ercros SA (Spain)
  • Evonik Industries AG (Germany)
  • Inovyn (UK)
  • UNID Co., Ltd. (South Korea)

 

Uses

  • Production of Potassium Carbonate

Potassium hydroxide, or caustic potash, is used in a wide variety of industrial applications. The major uses are in the production of potassium carbonate, potassium phosphates, liquid fertilizers, and potassium soaps and detergents. The largest single use is in the production of potassium carbonate, which is used primarily in the manufacture of specialty glasses, including television tubes.

Other applications of potassium carbonate include food, soaps, dyes and pigments, boiler compounds, electroplating baths, extraction of carbon dioxide from the industrial gas streams, dehydrating agents, titanium enamels, vat dyeing and textile printing, fire extinguishing powders, and use as a chemical intermediate for the production of several potassium chemicals including potassium acetate, bicarbonate, bisulfite, ferrocyanide, fluoride, silicate, and others.

  • Production of Potassium Phosphates

The phosphates, which have buffering chelating and cleaning effects similar to sodium phosphates, are used in applications where their excellent solubility is of value, and find markets primarily as builders in industrial detergents and cleaners, and in water treatment chemicals. Potassium phosphates are also used in solubilized casein products and other food applications, antifreezes and specialty liquid fertilizers.

  • Production of Fertilizers

Potassium hydroxide is used in the production of agricultural-grade fertilizers. These fertilizers can be used as a source of potassium (one of three major plant foods) for crops that are sensitive to chloride ions.

Production of Soaps

Potassium soaps include those made from coconut oil fatty acid, vegetable oil, tall oil and toluene sulfonic acid.

  • Other

Other end uses for potassium hydroxide include electroplating, herbicides, greases, catalysts, oxidizers, medicines, and alkaline-electrolytic batteries. Potassium hydroxide is used as a direct intermediate for several potassium chemicals, including potassium cyanide, aluminate, formate, fluosilicate, borohydride, bromate, bromide, gluconate, laurate, manganate, oleate, and titanate.

 

Market trends, developments and prospects

potassium hydroxide or caustic potash is one of the potassium compounds widely used in non-fertilizer applications (mainly potassium carbonate and potassium phosphates) global potassium hydroxide market grows at CAGR of 4.5%, capacity utilization rates are around 87-89% top 5 potassium hydroxide producers include USA, China, South Korea, Belgium and France Asia Pacific region accounts for about a half of global potassium hydroxide demand, followed by North America and Europe Some KOH projects are underway and new caustic potash plants will use the latest membrane cell technology instead of existing mercury electrolysis one.

Potassium Hydroxide 2020 World Market Outlook and Forecast up to 2029 grants access to the unique data on the examined market. Having used a large variety of primary and secondary sources, our research team combined, canvassed and presented all available information on product in an all-encompassing research report clearly and coherently.

The market report not only contains a detailed market overview but also offers a rich collection of tables and figures, thus providing an up-close look at country, regional and world markets for product. It also includes a ten-year forecast showing how product market is set to develop.