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Potassium pentyl xanthate is an organosulfur compound with the chemical formula CH3(CH2)3OCS2K. It is a pale yellow powder or pellet with a pungent odor, soluble in water. It is widely used in the mining industry for the separation of ores using the flotation process.

Production and properties
Xanthate salts are prepared by the action of alcohols on carbon disulfide. The alkoxide is generated in situ from potassium hydroxide:
 * CH3(CH2)3OH +  CS2  +  KOH →  CH3(CH2)3OCS2K  +  H2O

Potassium amyl xanthate is a pale yellow powder that is relatively stable between pH 8 and 13 with a maximum of stability at pH 10 . Unlike the sodium derivative, potassium xanthate crystallizes as the anhydrous salt and is nonhygroscopic.

Applications
Potassium amyl xanthate is predominantly used in the mining industry as flotation agent for extraction of the ores of copper, nickel, and silver. The method exploits the affinity of these "soft" metals for the organosulfur ligand. Potassium xanthate is a useful reagent for preparing xanthate esters from alkyl and aryl halides. The resulting xanthate esters are useful intermediates in organic synthesis.

Safety
The LD50 is 480 mg/kg (oral, rats) for potassium pentylxanthate.

It is a biodegradable compound.