This section provides an overview for potassium nitrite as well as their applications and principles. Also, please take a look at the list of 14 potassium nitrite manufacturers and their company rankings. Here are the top-ranked potassium nitrite companies as of November, 2024: 1.Anron Chemicals Co., 2.LobaChemie Pct.Ltd., 3.Parchem.
Table of Contents
Potassium nitrite is a compound with the molecular formula KNO2.
It is a white or pale yellow crystalline powder. It is deliquescent and soluble in water, and its aqueous solution is alkaline. It is known to be a strong oxidizing agent and a flame retardant. It can be explosive when heated above 530°C, so it should be handled with care.
In terms of safety, it has been shown to be irritating to the eyes and skin.
Potassium nitrite is widely used mainly as a food preservative, in wastewater treatment, and in the production of metal oxide membranes for fuel cells.
When potassium nitrite is used in food, it is effective in the form of nitrous acid. It is often used together with sodium nitrite as a coloring agent for ham, sausage, bacon, cod roe, salmon roe, etc. to prevent the growth of bacteria and to give meat a pink color.
It is also used as a fermentation regulator for cheese and sake.
Potassium nitrite is used in the manufacture of nitroglycerin, a drug for angina pectoris, and sodium nitrite, a drug for cyanide poisoning.
Potassium nitrite (KNO2) is a white to slightly yellow crystalline powder. It is slightly hygroscopic, absorbing moisture in the air and gradually dissolving. Its melting point is 441°C and boiling point is about 600°C. It is well soluble in water, but insoluble in organic solvents such as ethanol, ether, and benzene.
It has a simple linear molecular structure consisting of a potassium cation (K+) and a nitrite anion (NO2-). Potassium nitrite is a strong oxidant and can react with a variety of organic and inorganic compounds. When potassium nitrite is heated to between 550°C and 790°C in the presence of oxygen, it undergoes thermal decomposition to form potassium nitrite.
At this time, it releases nitrogen gas, resulting in a significant increase in volume. Potassium nitrite also reacts very slowly with liquid ammonia solutions of potassium amide in the presence of ferric oxide or cobalt oxide at room temperature to form nitrogen and potassium hydroxide.
Besides, potassium nitrite can form explosive compounds when mixed with other substances, such as ammonium nitrite and organic compounds. Thus, potassium nitrite has a wide range of uses due to its physical and chemical properties. However, it can be dangerous if not handled properly.
Potassium nitrite can be produced in several ways. A typical method is the reaction of potassium hydroxide (KOH) with nitrous acid (HNO2). Nitrous acid is synthesized in situ by reacting sodium nitrite (NaNO2) with hydrochloric acid (HCl). The reaction proceeds with the following equation:
2KOH + HNO2 → KNO2 + KNO3 + H2O
The resulting mixture can be separated by crystallization. Another method is to react potassium carbonate (K2CO3) with nitrite to produce potassium nitrite together with potassium nitrate, or to react potassium nitrate (KNO3) with metal iron to reduce nitrate to nitrite.
In both methods, potassium nitrite is a strong oxidizing agent and can be dangerous if not handled properly. Potassium nitrite is also soluble in water, making it difficult to recover solids.
*Including some distributors, etc.
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Spectrum Chemical MFG Corp. was founded in 1971, is headquartered in New Brunswick, New Jersey, and has facilities in Gardena, California. Spectrum is a fine chemical manufacturing company with an emphasis on USP, NF, FCC, BP, EP, JP, and ACS grade products, and is ISO 9001:2015 certified. Spectrum primarily serves the analytical, biopharmaceutical, food & beverage, personal care, and pharmaceutical chemicals industries. Spectrum has 4 product segments which are chemicals, equipment, supplies, and safety.
Parchem was founded in 1999 and headquartered in Rochelle, New York. Parchem is a distributor of industrial chemicals. Parchem serves nutritional, personal care, pharmaceutical, and specialty chemical industries. Parchem offerings include coatings, adhesives, elastomers, industrial products, petrochemicals, oleochemicals, plastics, rubber, nutritional supplements, cosmetics, consumer products, catalysts, metallic salts, rare earths, flavors & fragrances, industrial & institutional, textiles, other food-related chemicals, dyes, finishes, chemicals for aerospace, oil gas drilling chemicals, electronics, and pharmaceuticals.
Loba Chemie Pvt. Ltd. is a Mumbai-based manufacturer and supplier of laboratory and fine chemicals, catering to industries such as pharmaceuticals, food, research, hospitals, and universities since its establishment in 1975. Their product range includes pH indicators, biological stains, HPLC solvents, high purity acids, and tetrazolium salts and derivatives. These products serve various applications like pH testing, cell and tissue staining, chemical separation, and pharmaceutical manufacturing. The company has several certifications, such as ISO/IEC 17025:2017 and ISO 9001:2015.
ALPHA CHEMICA, established in 1985, is an Indian manufacturer and supplier of laboratory reagents and fine chemicals, headquartered in Mumbai, Maharashtra. Their wide range of products includes high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), analytical reagent/guaranteed reagent (AR/GR), laboratory reagents (LRs), and fine chemicals, catering to life science and other specialty research. During the COVID-19 pandemic and its aftermath, ALPHA CHEMICA offered BactGO, a disinfectant solution with stabilized hydrogen peroxide using silver-based chemistry, and BaVi-X, a 75% alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
Yogi Dye Chem Industries was founded in 1960 and is based in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India as an ISO 9001:2008 certified firm offering a range of inorganic pharmaceutical raw materials. The company’s niche in the chemical industry is in developing pharmaceutical raw materials and bulk drugs. The company is a manufacturer, exporter, and importer of pharmaceutical raw materials including bulk drugs, veterinary feed additives, fine chemicals, and nearly all metallic and inorganic metals.
Merck, started in 1668 and based in Darmstadt, Germany, is a supplier of solutions and services for research, development, and manufacture of pharmaceutical and biotechnological drug therapies. The company serves the life science industry and has a broad portfolio of 300,000 products, including biopharmaceutical manufacturing, industrial microbiology, reagent, life science research, and water purification products. It is available in 66 countries, brings together six brands, and has several ISO certifications, including ISO 13485, ISO 14001, ISO 13485, and ISO 50001.
Honeywell, founded in 1906, in Wabash, Indiana is manufacturer of automotive parts, building technologies, and performance and safety materials for aerospace, The company's product portfolio includes electronic guidance systems, cockpit instrumentation, lighting, automotive parts, and primary propulsion and secondary power turbine engines. The company serves industries such as Oil and Gas, Aerospace and Defense, Automotive and Transportation, Construction, and Power Generation. Their headquartere is located in Carolina and they have global sales offices and distributions channels.
Vishnupriya Chemicals Pvt. Ltd., established in 1999 with facilities in India, is a manufacturer and supplier of inorganic and specialty chemicals. The company offers over 300 products that include ammonium acetate, chloride, chromate salts, metal powders, and molecular sieves used in the food, pharmaceutical, fine chemical, and biotech markets. Vishnupriya Chemicals Pvt. Ltd. offers custom production for manufacturers with its ISO 9001:2015-certified facilities. The company also manages sales, distribution, and direct delivery to clients.
Nacalai Tesque Inc., founded in 1846 and headquartered in Kyoto, Japan, is a manufacturer of research chemicals, fine chemicals, diagnostics, and the related instruments. Some of its products include cytokines, nucleic acid electrophoresis, cell dissociation reagents, and sialic acid-related products, and it also offers custom and bulk service for bulk reagents and cell culture media. The company has more than 50 domestic distributors and several worldwide, including Asia, the Middle East, Oceania, Europe, and Africa. It is ISO 9001 and ISO 9002 certified, while the Kyoto South brand and Tesque factory are ISO 14001 certified.
Founded in 1981, Central Drug House Ltd. serves the scientific community via manufacturing and marketing a library of over 9,000 products to laboratory fine chemicals and dehydrated culture media with emphasis on purity and service. Examples are acids & bases, adsorbents, disinfectants, indicator papers, oils, and solvents. CDH provides bio chemicals, research chemicals, laboratory reagents, various solvents, stains & indicators, and dehydrated culture media. CDH is ISO 9001 certified and CDHs’ products are in compliance with specifications of IP, BP, USP, and EP standards.
Glentham Life Sciences is based in Corsham, United Kingdom. Glentham Life Sciences is a leading supplier of fine chemicals, raw materials, reagents, and life science products. Glenthem also offers a number of services including custom packaging, call-off orders, and safety documentation. Glentham’s product offerings include chemicals such as amino acids, antibiotics, APIs, biochemicals, buffers, carbohydrates, chitin, chitosan, detergents, dyes, stains, enzymes, inorganic, peptide reagents, phytochemical, raw materials, solvents, steroids, and vitamins among others.
Founded in Mumbai, India in 2006, Otto Chemie Pvt. Ltd. is an ISO 9001:2015 & GMP certified chemical manufacturing company and distributor. Otto Chemie serves customers in many industries including agriculture and food processing, pharmaceuticals, oil & gas, cement, as well as educational and R&D industries. Product offerings include antibiotics, amino acids, vitamins, detergents, ionic liquids, materials science compounds, labware, oil, metal & ceramic science compounds and tools, oils, reagents, solvents.
Ataman Kimya, established in 2006, is a distributor of chemicals based in Istanbul, Turkey. Their wide range of products includes detergents, cosmetics, disinfectants, pharmaceutical chemicals, and water treatment chemicals. They also offer textile, leather, paper, and mining chemicals. These chemicals, such as hydrogenated castor oils, ethanol, and butylene glycol, find applications in various industries, such as personal care, household cleaning, fragrance, coatings, and agriculture. The company also offers custom blending to meet specific requirements.
Ranking as of November 2024
Derivation MethodRank | Company | Click Share |
---|---|---|
1 | Anron Chemicals Co. |
21.6%
|
2 | LobaChemie Pct.Ltd. |
13.5%
|
3 | Parchem |
10.8%
|
4 | ATAMAN Kimya A.S. INC. |
8.1%
|
5 | Glentham Life Sciences Limited |
8.1%
|
6 | Honeywell |
8.1%
|
7 | Spectrum Chemical Mfg. Corp. |
8.1%
|
8 | nacalai |
8.1%
|
9 | Alpha Chemica |
5.4%
|
10 | Merck |
5.4%
|
Derivation Method
The ranking is calculated based on the click share within the potassium nitrite page as of November 2024. Click share is defined as the total number of clicks for all companies during the period divided by the number of clicks for each company.Number of Employees
Newly Established Company
Company with a History
*Including some distributors, etc.
*Including some distributors, etc.
Country | Number of Companies | Share (%) |
---|---|---|
India | 5 | 55.6% |
United States of America | 2 | 22.2% |
Japan | 1 | 11.1% |
United Kingdom | 1 | 11.1% |