Knowra Potassium alum Potassium alum Potassium alum is a hydrated double sulfate of potassium and aluminum with formula KAl(SO₄)₂·12H₂O. It forms colorless crystals and is used in water treatment, dyeing, and other applications.
Double salt : A crystalline compound containing two different salts in a fixed chemical proportion. Potassium alum is a classic double salt, not merely a mixture of its component salts.
Coagulation : A water-treatment process that destabilizes suspended particles so they aggregate. Dissolved alum helps suspended impurities clump together for removal.
Water treatment : Processes that improve water quality by removing contaminants or adjusting its properties. Potassium alum has been used as a coagulant in water clarification.
Ammonium alum : A hydrated double sulfate of ammonium and aluminum, commonly written NH₄Al(SO₄)₂·12H₂O. It shares alum’s crystal family but substitutes ammonium for potassium.
Aluminum sulfate : An aluminum salt of sulfuric acid, commonly represented by Al₂(SO₄)₃. It supplies the aluminum sulfate component of potassium alum’s crystal composition.
Flocculation : The aggregation of destabilized particles into larger, settleable flocs. After coagulation, particles form flocs that can settle or be filtered out.
Dyeing : The process of imparting color to fibers, fabrics, or other materials with dyes. Alum serves as a mordant in some traditional dyeing methods.
Sodium alum : A hydrated double sulfate containing sodium and aluminum, with composition NaAl(SO₄)₂·12H₂O. It is the sodium analogue, with different practical properties and uses.
Potassium sulfate : An ionic compound with formula K₂SO₄, used chiefly as a potassium fertilizer. It supplies potassium ions and sulfate units in the alum’s stoichiometry.
Hydrolysis : A chemical reaction in which water participates in breaking or transforming chemical bonds. Aluminum ions hydrolyze in water, producing species involved in particle removal.
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