Potassium Chloride
An inorganic potassium salt supplied for fertiliser blending, drilling fluid, and chemical manufacture, in standard and granular grades.
What is Potassium Chloride?
Potassium Chloride is a white to pink crystalline salt, known in the fertiliser trade as muriate of potash or MOP. It is the most widely used source of potassium in agriculture.
Its value in fertiliser is straightforward: potassium is one of the three primary plant nutrients, and KCl delivers more of it per tonne than any other common salt. At full purity the potassium content corresponds to 60% expressed as K2O, the convention used across the fertiliser trade.
Beyond agriculture it serves as a potassium source in chemical manufacture, a shale-stabilising salt in drilling fluids, and a raw material for potassium hydroxide and other potassium salts. At Chelora Chemicals it is supplied to a controlled assay with moisture and insolubles held to specification.
- Appearance
- White to pink crystalline solid
- Odour
- Odourless
- Solubility
- Freely soluble in water
- Function
- Potassium source / nutrient salt
- Grade
- Fertiliser, industrial, granular
Formula diagram
An ionic salt: potassium cation and chloride anion
- Molecular formulaKCl
- Molecular weight74.55 g/mol
- IUPAC namePotassium chloride
- BondingIonic
- CAS number7447-40-7
Technical product information
Standard specification for Chelora Chemicals' fertiliser and industrial Potassium Chloride. Custom-grade and bulk specifications are available on request.
| Chemical name | Potassium Chloride |
|---|---|
| Synonyms | KCl, Muriate of potash, MOP, Sylvite |
| CAS number | 7447-40-7 |
| Molecular formula | KCl |
| Molecular weight | 74.55 g/mol |
| Assay (KCl) | ≥ 98.0% |
| Potassium as K2O | ≥ 60.0% |
| Appearance | White to pink crystalline solid |
| Melting point | 770°C |
| Solubility in water (20°C) | approx. 34 g per 100 mL |
| Moisture | ≤ 0.5% |
| Water insolubles | ≤ 0.5% |
| Packaging | 50 kg bags, 1000 kg jumbo bags, bulk |
| Shelf life | Indefinite in dry, sealed storage |
Applications of Potassium Chloride
Fertiliser & potash blends
The primary potassium source in straight and compound fertilisers and blended NPK formulations.
Drilling fluids
Used as a shale-stabilising salt in water-based drilling mud systems.
Potassium chemicals
Feedstock for potassium hydroxide, potassium carbonate, and other potassium salts.
Industrial process salt
Applied in metal treatment, electroplating baths, and specialty process brines.
Water treatment & softening
Used as a regenerant salt where sodium loading needs to be avoided.
Food & technical grades
Available for salt substitute and technical applications on request, to the appropriate grade specification.
Why choose Chelora Chemicals
Every batch of Potassium Chloride is manufactured, tested, and documented to a standard that formulators and process chemists can build on with confidence — from first sample to full production volume.
Consistent purity
Assay and K2O content controlled with moisture and water insolubles verified before dispatch.
Full documentation
COA, SDS, and regulatory data supplied with every shipment.
Flexible volumes
From 50 kg bags to jumbo bags and bulk shipments.
Technical support
Process, handling, and compliance guidance from our chemistry team.
Storage and guidelines
- 01Store in a dry, covered, well-ventilated warehouse on pallets, off the floor.
- 02Protect from moisture — the product is hygroscopic in humid conditions and cakes when it picks up water.
- 03Keep bags sealed and stacked to the recommended height to avoid compaction of lower bags.
- 04Segregate from strong acids and strong oxidising agents.
- 05Avoid prolonged contact with unprotected mild steel; chloride solutions are corrosive.
- 06Keep fertiliser-grade and industrial-grade stock clearly separated and labelled.
Handling precautions
Potassium chloride is a low-hazard material relative to the rest of this range, but it still causes eye and respiratory irritation as a dust.
Use dust control, eye protection, and gloves during bag emptying, blending, and charging operations.
Chloride solutions are corrosive to mild steel and can pit stainless steel over time. Select materials of construction accordingly for brine systems.
Keep the product dry: caked material is difficult to handle, and dissolution generates a mildly endothermic effect that can chill equipment.
Refer to the full Safety Data Sheet for handling, spill, and first-aid information, and use only food or pharmaceutical grades where those applications apply.
Frequently asked questions
What is potassium chloride used for?
Mostly as fertiliser, where it is the dominant potassium source. It is also used in drilling fluids, as a feedstock for other potassium chemicals, in industrial process brines, and in water treatment.
What does MOP mean?
Muriate of potash, the traditional fertiliser trade name for potassium chloride. Muriate is an old word for chloride, and the name persists in agricultural supply.
What does 60% K2O mean if the product is potassium chloride?
Fertiliser potassium is conventionally reported as potassium oxide equivalent rather than as the element, so buyers can compare products directly. Pure KCl corresponds to about 60% K2O, which is why that figure appears on fertiliser specifications.
Why is some potassium chloride pink?
Trace iron in the mined ore gives many potash grades a pink or reddish tint. It does not affect nutrient value, though white grades are preferred where appearance or purity matters, such as in some industrial and food applications.
How does MOP compare with SOP?
Sulphate of potash contains no chloride and is preferred for chloride-sensitive crops such as tobacco, some fruits, and certain vegetables. MOP is considerably cheaper per unit of potassium and dominates general agricultural use.
Why does it cake in storage?
It picks up moisture in humid conditions, and the dissolved salt recrystallises between particles as it dries, binding them together. Dry, covered, palletised storage with sealed bags prevents most of it.
Is it soluble in water?
Yes, freely: around 34 g per 100 mL at room temperature. Dissolution is endothermic, so a concentrated solution will cool noticeably as it forms.
What grades do you supply?
Standard, granular, and industrial grades to a minimum assay of 98% with K2O at 60% minimum. Food and pharmaceutical grades are available on request against the appropriate specification.
What packaging is available?
50 kg bags, 1000 kg jumbo bags, and bulk shipments. Specify the grade and intended application on enquiry, since packaging and documentation differ.
Is potassium chloride hazardous?
It is low-hazard compared with most products in this range, but dust irritates eyes and airways and chloride brines corrode mild steel. Normal industrial dust control and material selection apply.
Do you provide a Certificate of Analysis?
Yes. Every consignment ships with a Certificate of Analysis and Safety Data Sheet covering assay, K2O content, moisture, water insolubles, and appearance.