Potassium Nitrate

Alternate Names: Niter, Saltpeter, KNO₃

Oxide	Analysis	Formula
K2O	46.60%	1.00
LOI	53.40%	n/a
Oxide Weight		94.20
Formula Weight		202.15

Notes

Prepared by the interaction of sodium nitrate and potassium chloride. It is used in glazes, glass and enamels for its oxidizing and fluxing properties.

Oxidation enamels usually contain 2-4% potassium or sodium nitrate to maintain oxidizing conditions during smelting to prevent reduction of compounds such as lead or antimony. Enamels with niter thus tend to froth during melting.

Related Information

Links

Materials	Pearl Ash Calcined
Materials	Pearl Ash
Materials	Potasium Nitrate
Hazards	Potassium Carbonate Toxicity
Typecodes	Flux Source Materials that source Na2O, K2O, Li2O, CaO, MgO and other fluxes but are not feldspars or frits. Remember that materials can be flux sources but also perform many other roles. For example, talc is a flux in high temperature glazes, but a matting agent in low temperatures ones. It can also be a flux, a filler and an expansion increaser in bodies.
URLs	http://www.ilo.org/public/english/protection/safework/cis/products/icsc/dtasht/_icsc01/icsc0184.htm Potassium Nitrate at ilo.org
URLs	http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potassium_nitrate Potassium Nitrate at Wikipedia

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