Rodanid potassium is a toxic substance used in analytical chemistry

Rodanid potassium( according to the modern nomenclature of IUPAC - potassium thiocyanate) - crystals that do not have color and odor;in a finely dispersed state they acquire a white color. The substance has a bitterish acute taste, is poisonous. Potassium rodanide dissolves well in many solvents, such as water, amyl alcohol and ethanol.

Getting

The substance is obtained only chemically, it is extracted from natural sources( blood and human saliva) - extremely expensive. In order to synthesize potassium thiocyanate, it is necessary to mix solutions of ammonium thiocyanate and potassium hydroxide( trivial name - caustic potassium).

The test is carried out under traction, because the ammonia released can cause chemical burns and poisoning;Then, the purified solution is filtered and the residue is evaporated to give crystals of the desired substance. When the product is released to 70% and a sufficiently pure sample of ammonium thiocyanate, this method is very effective.

Another method is to fuse sulfur with potassium cyanide, but this method of obtaining potassium thiocyanate is very dangerous because of the high toxicity of cyanide.

Application of

Potassium thiocyanate, its derivatives and solutions with various concentrations in several industries are used. For example:

• Textile industry.
• Film photo.
• Organic synthesis.
• Analytical chemistry.

Areas of use of

1. In the textile industry. Potassium thiocyanate solution is used for dressing fabrics, for example - silk, during painting and processing in order to preserve the original properties of the material.
2. In organic synthesis. Some organic substances, such as thiourea, synthetic mustard oil and various dyes, are synthesized from potassium thiocyanate. Also with its help, other thiocyanates are obtained, for example, copper thiocyanate-2.
3. In analytical chemistry the solution of potassium thiocyanate is used to determine cations of ferric iron in the substance. An illustrative example is the reaction in which potassium thiocyanate and iron-3 chloride are also involved, also called "blood from water", in which crimson red hexacyanoferrate 3 is formed;The trivial name is red blood salt. Also, thiocyanates are used to separate rare metals like thorium and lanthanum. Potassium rodanide and ferric chloride have recently helped in obtaining artificial blood for filming, but this method goes to the background because of the introduction of computer graphics in the film industry.
4. In agriculture, strong insecticides are obtained from solutions of thiocyanates. There are two possible reactions:

• The first is the production of thiocyan gas by removing potassium from salt;Rodan is a rather dangerous gas for all living organisms and is rarely used.
• The second is the dissolution of potassium thiocyanate, the collection of hydrocyanic acid liberated during the hydrolysis, and oxidation of the obtained substance to the cyanogen. Cyan is not less poisonous, but heavier gas compared to the syringe, and therefore is often used as an insecticide.

Potassium rodanide is a toxic substance whose lethal dose is about 0.9 grams of substance per kilogram of human body weight when administered orally.

Availability

Rodanid potassium can be purchased at any chemical store, but in small quantities because of the high toxicity. The average price of a reagent is four hundred rubles per kilogram, the sale is most often limited to two kilograms in one hand.

Safety

Due to its toxicity, potassium thiocyanate must be stored under special conditions for safety requirements when handling poisonous substances:

1. Crystals and solutions of potassium thiocyanate are categorically forbidden to be taken orally, and solutions with a high concentration of the basic substance on the skin are highly undesirable.
2. Despite the fact that the drug is toxic only when applied orally, it is desirable to work with the substance in rubber gloves and a lab coat, as with all chemical reagents for basic safety requirements.
3. The substance should be isolated from children and persons who do not have the knowledge of a laboratory technician, as this can cause unpleasant incidents with loss of reagents, improper use and sudden death.
4. Since the substance is non-flammable and stable enough in the air, you can do without storing the substance in the dark.dry closet. Avoid high humidity and direct sunlight, as it may damage the reagent due to its decomposition into its constituent parts. Also according to the NFPA 704 standard, the following symbols are on rhombic marking: 3 0 0 W, where 3( blue diamond) - toxicity, 0( red and yellow) - flammability and reactivity, and W - mark for interaction with water, withwhich is the release of toxic thiocyanic acid.

And remember, chemical experiments are amazing and unique, but never disregard safety!