Potassium nitrite

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  • Identifiers

    CAS number
    7758-09-0

    Molecular formula
    KNO2

    SMILES
    N(=O)[O-].[K+]

    Safety labels

    Oxidizer
    Oxidizer

    Acute Toxic
    Acute Toxic

    Environmental Hazard
    Environmental

  • Odor profile

    Fragrance
    Odorless 82.72%
    Pungent 23.25%
    Sharp 22.87%
    Sour 20.23%
    Fruity 15.9%
    Ethereal 15.08%
    Caramellic 14.61%
    Burnt 14.58%
    Fermented 12.93%
    Cheesy 12.92%

     

    Flavor
    Odorless 57.92%
    Pungent 36.19%
    Mustard 30.33%
    Vinegar 29.5%
    Sour 27.37%
    Formyl 26.45%
    Bitter 24.46%
    Sulfur 22.66%
    Mousy 22.31%
    Rotten 21.87%

     

    Odor impact est.
    Low

  • Properties

    pKa est.
    0.44 (strong acid)

    Molecular weight
    85.104 g/mol

    Melting point expt.

    • 441 °C with decomp starting at 350 °C
    • 441 °C

    Boiling point

    • 537 °C (explodes)

    Flash point

    • 42.85 ˚C est.

    Solubility expt.

    • 281 G/100 CC OF WATER @ 0 °C; 413 G/100 CC OF WATER @ 100 °C
    • 312 g/100g of water at 25 °C
    • SOL IN HOT ALCOHOL; VERY SOL IN LIQUID AMMONIA
    • 306 parts by wt per 100 parts by wt of water at 20 °C
    • For more Solubility (Complete) data for POTASSIUM NITRITE (6 total), please visit the HSDB record page.
    • Solubility in water, g/100ml at 0 °C: 281 (very good)

  • Synonyms

    • POTASSIUM NITRITE
    • 7758-09-0
    • Nitrous acid, potassium salt
    • Potassium nitrite (1:1)
    • DTXSID5042320
    • Nitrous acid potassium salt (1:1)
    • INS NO.249
    • 794654G42L
    • DTXCID3022320
    • INS-249
    • E-249
    • RefChem:175535
    • Nitrous acid potassium salt
    • 231-832-4
    • potassium;nitrite
    • 92937-66-1
    • POTASSIUM NITRITE (15N)
    • potassium nitrite-15N
    • MFCD00011408
    • Caswell No. 698
    • CCRIS 3959
    • HSDB 1216
    • EINECS 231-832-4
    • UN1488
    • EPA Pesticide Chemical Code 076203
    • Kaliumnitrit
    • UNII-794654G42L
    • KNO2
    • SCHEMBL316
    • Potassium nitrite (KNO2)
    • Potassium nitrite, ACS grade
    • POTASSIUM NITRITE [MI]
    • POTASSIUM NITRITE [FCC]
    • CHEMBL3186418
    • POTASSIUM NITRITE [HSDB]
    • Potassium nitrite, p.a., 97%
    • CHEBI:232610
    • Tox21_301322
    • Nitrous acid, potassium salt (1:1)
    • AKOS015853609
    • Potassium nitrite, ~97% (titration)
    • NCGC00255971-01
    • E249
    • CAS-7758-09-0
    • Potassium nitrite [UN1488] [Oxidizer]
    • Potassium nitrite, ACS reagent, >=96.0%
    • NS00081370
    • Q409179
    • Potassium nitrite, meets analytical specification of FCC, 97-100.5%
    • 7758-09-0

  • Applications

    Potassium nitrite is used primarily as a food preservative and processing aid, notably as a curing salt in meat processing to inhibit microbial growth and impart the characteristic pink color. In industry, it is used as a corrosion inhibitor in closed-loop cooling water systems and in industrial water treatment. It also serves as a nitrosating reagent for organic synthesis, for example in diazotization steps to produce diazonium salts used in dye and pigment manufacture. In analytical chemistry, it is commonly used as a standard to quantify nitrite. Applications depend on local regulations and formulation limits.

    gpt-5-nano

  • Solubility @25˚C

    Solvent Solubility (g/L)
    ethanol 50.75
    methanol 102.47
    isopropanol 42.62
    water 47.61
    ethyl acetate 15.93
    n-propanol 33.78
    acetone 55.49
    n-butanol 27.37
    acetonitrile 29.24
    DMF 534.1
    toluene 5.3
    isobutanol 24.56
    1,4-dioxane 51.05
    methyl acetate 27.45
    THF 68.44
    2-butanone 26.68
    n-pentanol 18.89
    sec-butanol 26.85
    n-hexane 1.25
    ethylene glycol 67.08
    NMP 196.19
    cyclohexane 1.43
    DMSO 368.61
    n-butyl acetate 9.63
    n-octanol 11.5
    chloroform 6.17
    n-propyl acetate 11.26
    acetic acid 54.68
    dichloromethane 11.43
    cyclohexanone 25.2
    propylene glycol 44.87
    isopropyl acetate 10.97
    DMAc 289.79
    2-ethoxyethanol 53.12
    isopentanol 22.99
    n-heptane 1.62
    ethyl formate 25.97
    1,2-dichloroethane 13.06
    n-hexanol 13.32
    2-methoxyethanol 120.77
    isobutyl acetate 6.27
    tetrachloromethane 2.05
    n-pentyl acetate 9.39
    transcutol 62.0
    n-heptanol 11.03
    ethylbenzene 3.03
    MIBK 13.47
    2-propoxyethanol 40.18
    tert-butanol 54.78
    MTBE 24.65
    2-butoxyethanol 27.55
    propionic acid 31.83
    o-xylene 6.86
    formic acid 82.44
    diethyl ether 17.96
    m-xylene 5.18
    p-xylene 4.21
    chlorobenzene 5.0
    dimethyl carbonate 33.4
    n-octane 0.8
    formamide 107.56
    cyclopentanone 42.01
    2-pentanone 20.48
    anisole 14.87
    cyclopentyl methyl ether 21.68
    gamma-butyrolactone 51.89
    1-methoxy-2-propanol 78.41
    pyridine 29.77
    3-pentanone 15.79
    furfural 61.95
    n-dodecane 0.96
    diethylene glycol 56.69
    diisopropyl ether 5.18
    tert-amyl alcohol 35.77
    acetylacetone 24.92
    n-hexadecane 1.0
    acetophenone 15.56
    methyl propionate 26.92
    isopentyl acetate 8.52
    trichloroethylene 14.02
    n-nonanol 10.88
    cyclohexanol 17.5
    benzyl alcohol 17.35
    2-ethylhexanol 7.62
    isooctanol 8.7
    dipropyl ether 9.8
    1,2-dichlorobenzene 5.32
    ethyl lactate 16.24
    propylene carbonate 23.71
    n-methylformamide 140.67
    2-pentanol 17.14
    n-pentane 1.91
    1-propoxy-2-propanol 27.34
    1-methoxy-2-propyl acetate 16.77
    2-(2-methoxypropoxy) propanol 29.76
    mesitylene 4.07
    ε-caprolactone 23.58
    p-cymene 3.53
    epichlorohydrin 43.8
    1,1,1-trichloroethane 5.35
    2-aminoethanol 66.85
    morpholine-4-carbaldehyde 149.2
    sulfolane 87.24
    2,2,4-trimethylpentane 1.5
    2-methyltetrahydrofuran 30.34
    n-hexyl acetate 11.92
    isooctane 1.09
    2-(2-butoxyethoxy)ethanol 36.07
    sec-butyl acetate 6.8
    tert-butyl acetate 13.37
    decalin 0.99
    glycerin 79.14
    diglyme 61.22
    acrylic acid 41.59
    isopropyl myristate 6.75
    n-butyric acid 25.18
    acetyl acetate 10.12
    di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate 9.87
    ethyl propionate 12.08
    nitromethane 98.56
    1,2-diethoxyethane 15.93
    benzonitrile 12.84
    trioctyl phosphate 8.05
    1-bromopropane 6.69
    gamma-valerolactone 69.3
    n-decanol 9.09
    triethyl phosphate 7.71
    4-methyl-2-pentanol 10.6
    propionitrile 19.84
    vinylene carbonate 24.66
    1,1,2-trichlorotrifluoroethane 53.72
    DMS 15.07
    cumene 3.03
    2-octanol 7.88
    2-hexanone 12.48
    octyl acetate 9.49
    limonene 5.15
    1,2-dimethoxyethane 80.62
    ethyl orthosilicate 6.92
    tributyl phosphate 8.03
    diacetone alcohol 29.38
    N,N-dimethylaniline 17.62
    acrylonitrile 32.64
    aniline 16.31
    1,3-propanediol 57.36
    bromobenzene 3.26
    dibromomethane 6.46
    1,1,2,2-tetrachloroethane 13.96
    2-methyl-cyclohexyl acetate 7.64
    tetrabutyl urea 15.19
    diisobutyl methanol 5.89
    2-phenylethanol 12.3
    styrene 4.01
    dioctyl adipate 10.8
    dimethyl sulfate 66.23
    ethyl butyrate 8.84
    methyl lactate 37.99
    butyl lactate 13.44
    diethyl carbonate 7.27
    propanediol butyl ether 30.49
    triethyl orthoformate 8.41
    p-tert-butyltoluene 3.86
    methyl 4-tert-butylbenzoate 20.42
    morpholine 65.84
    tert-butylamine 25.13
    n-dodecanol 7.44
    dimethoxymethane 115.78
    ethylene carbonate 19.07
    cyrene 29.67
    2-ethoxyethyl acetate 14.49
    2-ethylhexyl acetate 6.56
    1,2,4-trichlorobenzene 7.13
    4-methylpyridine 28.47
    dibutyl ether 7.28
    2,6-dimethyl-4-heptanol 5.89
    DEF 59.16
    dimethyl isosorbide 33.73
    tetrachloroethylene 10.26
    eugenol 24.48
    triacetin 15.15
    span 80 23.63
    1,4-butanediol 28.98
    1,1-dichloroethane 7.92
    2-methyl-1-pentanol 15.3
    methyl formate 91.33
    2-methyl-1-butanol 21.69
    n-decane 1.18
    butyronitrile 17.93
    3,7-dimethyl-1-octanol 9.31
    1-chlorooctane 3.42
    1-chlorotetradecane 2.24
    n-nonane 1.06
    undecane 1.05
    tert-butylcyclohexane 1.1
    cyclooctane 0.74
    cyclopentanol 25.73
    tetrahydropyran 23.17
    tert-amyl methyl ether 20.58
    2,5,8-trioxanonane 51.34
    1-hexene 3.7
    2-isopropoxyethanol 31.01
    2,2,2-trifluoroethanol 34.97
    methyl butyrate 17.87

    Scent© AI

1 4

IFRA standard 51

Recommendation
No restriction
Maximum acceptable concentrations in the finished product (%)
Category 1
Products applied to the lips
 No restriction Category 7A
Rinse-off products applied to the hair with some hand contact
 No restriction
Category 2
Products applied to the axillae
 No restriction Category 7B
Leave-on products applied to the hair with some hand contact
 No restriction
Category 3
Products applied to the face/body using fingertips
 No restriction Category 8
Products with significant anogenital exposure
 No restriction
Category 4
Products related to fine fragrance
 No restriction Category 9
Products with body and hand exposure, primarily rinse off
 No restriction
Category 5A
Body lotion products applied to the body using the hands (palms), primarily leave on
 No restriction Category 10A
Household care products with mostly hand contact
 No restriction
Category 5B
Face moisturizer products applied to the face using the hands (palms), primarily leave on
 No restriction Category 10B
Household care products with mostly hand contact, including aerosol/spray products (with potential leave-on skin contact)
 No restriction
Category 5C
Hand cream products applied to the hands using the hands (palms), primarily leave on
 No restriction Category 11A
Products with intended skin contact but minimal transfer of fragrance to skin from inert substrate without UV exposure
 No restriction
Category 5D
Baby Creams, baby Oils and baby talc
 No restriction Category 11B
Products with intended skin contact but minimal transfer of fragrance to skin from inert substrate with potential UV exposure
 No restriction
Category 6
Products with oral and lip exposure
 No restriction Category 12
Products not intended for direct skin contact, minimal or insignificant transfer to skin
 No restriction