Talk:Potassium oxide

Line removed
I removed this line from the article:


 * Potassium + Sodum Chloride + Hydrochloric Acid = A VERY BIG EXPLOSION

because (a) it doesn't seem to refer to K2O and (b) it doesn't look like a proper formula. -- Heron — Preceding undated comment added 20:04, 10 May 2003‎ (UTC)
 * Not to mention it basically says eating a salty banana will make you explode. 75.118.170.35 (talk) 20:36, 24 January 2009 (UTC)

Not used as a fertilizer
It is a common misconception that K2O is actually used as a fertilizer. It is indeed on the labels of fertilziers, but it just an indicator of how much potassium is present IF it was in the form of K2O. If I recall correctly, it is usually in the form of potash (potassium carbonate), potassium sulfate or potassium chloride.

http://www.sizes.com/materls/fertilizer.htm : "Again, the fertilizer need not actually contain potassium oxide."

Also, K2O reacts violently with water (K2O + H2O --> 2KOH) and I don't see any lilac flames when I use my fertilizer :).

http://scifun.chem.wisc.edu/CHEMWEEK/AgriFert/agrifert.html "The amount of potassium in the fertilizer is the same as it would be if the fertilizer were 15% potassium oxide (K2O)." "Potassium comes from potassium sulfate (K2SO4) or potassium chloride (KCl), which is also called muriate of potash."

I'll work to expand this article entirely and to explain all of this, but I just wanted to let everyone know my logic beforehand. Chris Barile 20:32, 20 February 2006 (UTC)

Edibility
Is K2O poisonous? ✍ (talk) 23:59, 24 January 2009 (UTC)

No, it's non-toxic, but it's corrosive and it'll burn your flesh due to its reactivity with water and its extreme basicity Alecjw (talk) 22:02, 27 July 2009 (UTC)

K2O decomposition
So, I saw on the page that K2O decomposes at 350 C, but it is unsourced and I can't find anything else on the internet that corroborates this, and in fact it seems like it's causing a good deal of confusion. Can anyone back up the decomposition point?

98.109.133.51 (talk) 03:22, 20 December 2010 (UTC)

K2S2O5 → K2O + 2SO2
What the heck is this? I'm going to remove it since it is nonsense. "Potassium oxide can also be made by heating potassium metabisulfite crystals above 180°C: K2S2O5 → K2O + 2SO2" Vmelkon (talk) 02:56, 15 January 2014 (UTC)