Dynamic viscosity of liquid potassium at different temperatures

Dynamic viscosity of liquid potassium at different temperatures

Junjie Chen

Department of Energy and Power Engineering, School of Mechanical and Power Engineering, Henan Polytechnic University, 2000 Century Avenue, Jiaozuo, Henan, 454000, P.R. China

Contributor: Junjie Chen, ORCID: 0000-0001-5055-4309, E-mail address: komcjj@gmail.com

Potassium metal is soft and white with a silvery lustre, has a low melting point, and is a good conductor of heat and electricity. Potassium imparts a lavender colour to a flame, and its vapour is green. The potassium content of the Dead Sea is estimated at approximately 1.7 percent potassium chloride, and many other salty bodies of water are rich in potassium. The waste liquors from certain saltworks may contain up to 40 grams per litre of potassium chloride and are used as a source of potassium. Most potassium is present in igneous rocks, shale, and sediment in minerals such as muscovite and orthoclase feldspar that are insoluble in water; this makes potassium difficult to obtain. As a result, most commercial potassium compounds are obtained via electrolysis from soluble potassium compounds, such as carnallite, sylvite, polyhalite, and langbeinite, which are found in ancient lake beds and seabeds. Potassium is produced by sodium reduction of molten potassium chloride. Molten potassium chloride is continuously fed into a packed distillation column while sodium vapour is passed up through the column. By condensation of the more volatile potassium at the top of the distillation tower. Efforts to devise a scheme for commercial electrolytic production of potassium have been unsuccessful because there are few salt additives that can reduce the melting point of potassium chloride to temperatures where electrolysis is efficient. There is little commercial demand for potassium metal itself, and most of it is converted by direct combustion in dry air to potassium superoxide, which is used in respiratory equipment because it liberates oxygen and removes carbon dioxide and water vapour.

Temperature (degrees Celsius), Dynamic viscosity (grams per meter per second)

100                             0.441

150                             0.358

200                             0.303

250                             0.263

300                             0.234

350                             0.211

400                             0.193

450                             0.178

500                             0.166

550                             0.155

600                             0.146

650                             0.138

700                             0.132

750                             0.126

800                             0.12

850                             0.115

900                             0.111

950                             0.107

1000                                  0.104

1050                                  0.101

1100                                  0.098

1150                                  0.095

1200                                  0.092

1250                                  0.09

1300                                  0.088

1350                                  0.086

1400                                  0.084

1450                                  0.082

1500                                  0.081

1550                                  0.079

1600                                  0.078

1650                                  0.076

1700                                  0.075

1750                                  0.074

Contributor: Junjie Chen, ORCID: 0000-0001-5055-4309, E-mail address: komcjj@gmail.com, Department of Energy and Power Engineering, School of Mechanical and Power Engineering, Henan Polytechnic University, 2000 Century Avenue, Jiaozuo, Henan, 454000, P.R. China