Potassium pyrosulfate, or potassium disulfate, is an inorganic compound with the chemical formula .
Production Potassium pyrosulfate is obtained by the thermal decomposition of other salts, most directly from potassium bisulfate:
Temperatures above 600 °C further decompose potassium pyrosulfate to potassium sulfate and sulfur trioxide however:
Other salts, such as potassium trisulfate, can also decompose into potassium pyrosulfate.
Chemical structure Potassium pyrosulfate contains the pyrosulfate anion which has a dichromate-like structure. The geometry can be visualized as a tetrahedron with two corners sharing the anion's configuration and a centrally bridged oxygen atom. A semi-structural formula for the pyrosulfate anion is . The oxidation state of sulfur in this compound is +6.
Uses Potassium pyrosulfate is used in analytical chemistry; samples are fused with potassium pyrosulfate, (or a mixture of potassium pyrosulfate and potassium fluoride) to ensure complete dissolution prior to a quantitative analysis.
The compound is also present in a catalyst in conjunction with vanadium(V) oxide in the industrial production of sulfur trioxide.
See also Sodium pyrosulfate
References