Potassium hydroxide, KOH

Potassium hydroxide occurs as a white or nearly white fused mass. It is available in small pellets, flakes, sticks and other shapes or forms. It is hard and brittle and shows a crystalline fracture. Potassium hydroxide is hygroscopic and deliquescent; on exposure to air, it rapidly absorbs carbon dioxide and water with the formation of potassium carbonate. Soluble in water, alcohol, glycerol; slightly soluble in ether.

Potassium Hydroxide is a water-soluble food additive and bleaching agent. upon exposure to air it readily absorbs carbon dioxide and moisture and deliquesces. it is used to destroy the bitter chemical constituents in olives that will be used as black olives.

Potassium hydroxide is used as an emulsifier in lotions and as an alkali in liquid soaps, protective creams, and shaving preparations. Depending on the concentration used, it can be highly irritating to the skin and/or cause a burning sensation. It is used in making potassium salts, in electroplatingand lithography, in printing inks, as a mordantfor wood, and finds wide applicationsin organic syntheses and chemical analyses.