Potassium formate

White, granular, hygroscopic powder with high purity (≥98%). Potassium formate (HCOOK, CAS 590-29-4) is a readily biodegradable, environmentally friendly salt with a molar mass of 84.12 g·mol–1 and a melting point around 167–168 °C. It dissolves readily in water (reported solubility ~3.3–3.5 kg/L), producing an alkaline solution (pH ~7.0–8.5 at 25 °C, 1 M).

Key properties

• Physical: white granular powder; hygroscopic; low vapor pressure.
• Chemical/thermal: melts near 168 °C and shows good thermal stability around the melt.
• Performance: very high aqueous solubility, lower crystallization temperature and lower viscosity than many alternative salts (e.g., LiBr), lower latent heat of absorption and reduced corrosivity compared with chloride-based salts.

Principal industrial uses

• Polymer chemistry: trimerization catalyst for isocyanurate formation in polyurethane systems.
• Water treatment: regenerant for cation-exchange water softeners.
• Electrochemistry: eco-friendlier electrolyte with a wide usable potential window (≈ –2.5 to 1.5 V vs Ag/AgCl).
• Deicing and anti-icing: effective brine for lowering freezing point (up to about –51 °C at 50% brine), with faster ice-melting performance and reduced infrastructure corrosion versus conventional rock salt.
• Heat transfer and thermal storage: usable in molten-state heat-transfer fluids due to relatively low melting point and improved material compatibility compared with many halide salts.

Handling and storage

• Store in a cool, dry, well-ventilated area in tightly closed containers to avoid moisture uptake.
• Being hygroscopic, keep packaging sealed and protect from atmospheric humidity during handling.
• Follow standard industrial hygiene and PPE guidance for powders (dust control, eye/skin protection).

Available technical specification highlights

• CAS: 590-29-4
• Formula: HCOOK (potassium formate)
• Molar mass: 84.12 g·mol–1
• Purity: ≥98%
• Melting point: 167–168 °C
• Solubility: ~3.3–3.5 kg/L (water)

If you require a formal certificate of analysis (CoA), material safety data sheet (MSDS/SDS), or guidance on application-specific concentrations and compatibility, please request them for evaluation against your process requirements.