E508 (Potassium chloride) is a metal halide salt composed of potassium and chloride found in the human body and in nature.
It appears as a white crystalline powder, soluble in water and has a salty taste.
What it is used for and where
Food
Ingredient included in the list of European food additives as E508.
It is used to reduce the amount of salt in food, food supplement, gelling agent, nutritional yeast, salt substitute and flavour enhancer.
Medical and pharmaceuticals
Serum protein biochemical test, laxative. In medicinal tablets it is a gelling and flavouring agent.
Agriculture
Basic raw material for the production of various potassium salts such as potassium carbonate and potassium persulphate. Fast-acting fertiliser that can be absorbed into the soil and has a long persistence. Promotes flowering and fruiting, cold resistance, improves drought resistance, disease resistance and resistance to pests and insects.
Cosmetics
Viscosity control agent. It controls and adapts viscosity to the required level for optimal chemical and physical stability of the product and dosage in gels, suspensions, emulsions, solutions.
Other applications
Analytical reagent, chromatographic reagent, reference reagent, and buffer. Photography, electroplating, heat treatment of steel. Glass industry as penetrating agent. Textile softener.
The most relevant studies on this ingredient have been selected with a summary of their contents:
Potassium chloride studies
Typical commercial product characteristics Potassium Chloride
| Appearance | White powder |
| pH | 7.0 |
Boiling Point
| 1420°C |
Melting Point
| 770°C(lit.) |
Flash Point
| 1500°C |
| Density | 1.98 g/mL at 25°C(lit.) |
| Refraction Index | n20/D 1.334 |
Water Solubility
| 340 g/L (20 ºC) |
| As | ≤0.0001% |
| Heavy metals - Pb | ≤0.0004 |
| Loss on drying | ≤1 |
| Nitrogen | ≤0.001% |
- Molecular Formula KCl o ClK
- Molecular Weight 74.548 g/mol
- Exact Mass 73.932564
- CAS 7447-40-7 14336-88-0
- EC Number 231-211-8
- UNIII 660YQ98I10
- DSSTox Substance ID DTXSID5021178
- IUPAC potassium;chloride
- InChI=1S/ClH.K/h1H;/q;+1/p-1
- InChl Key WCUXLLCKKVVCTQ-UHFFFAOYSA-M
- SMILES [Cl-].[K+]
- MDL number MFCD00011360
- PubChem Substance ID 329820194
- ChEBI 32588
- ICSC 1450
- RXCUI 8591
- RTECS TS8050000
- NACRES NA.21
- NCI C47679
Synonyms
- Enseal
- Chlorvescent
- Muriate of potash
- Klotrix
E508 
