Red blood salt is a crystals of potassium ferricyanide. This substance is synthesized under artificial conditions and used in the chemical industry. By the way, this substance is known in the world under a different name - potassium hexacyanoferrate (III).
Red blood salt and its properties
Potassium hexacyanoferrate is an artificial crystal with a monoclinic structure. Blood salt has a characteristic rich red hue, which is reflected in its name.
The crystals are transparent, translucent in the presence of light. Interestingly, the larger the crystal, the more saturated the color. The substance does not oxidize under the influence of air, but it dissolves perfectly in water with the formation of an orange or green-yellow solution. Weathering of potassium hexacyanoferrate occurs only when heated.
Upon reaction with acids, a toxic substance is formed. That is why red blood salt is considered a strong poison. When it enters the digestive system, the substance reacts with stomach acids. For humans, the lethal dose is approximately four grams.
Red blood salt and its use
Potassium hexacyanoferrate is used in the production of various kinds of electrical engineering. In addition, solutions of the substance are used in the process of developing photographs.
An aqueous solution of this tool has found application in the chemical industry. Here it is used as a reagent for detecting iron ions.
Blood salt is also used in pyrotechnics. Sometimes hydrocyanic acid is produced from it .
Rules for storing red blood salt
Since this substance is highly toxic, it must be handled with extreme caution. Crystals must be protected from acids, water and steam. Since the reagent begins to weather when heated, it must be protected from exposure to high temperatures. Potassium hexacyanoferrate should be stored at a temperature not exceeding forty degrees Celsius.
Do not expose crystals to prolonged exposure to direct sunlight. And another important point: after working with the substance, be sure to wash your hands thoroughly.
Yellow blood salt and its properties
Yellow blood salt is another fairly well-known substance, which is a yellow transparent crystals.
This substance is also known under other names, for example, potassium hexacyanoferate (II), yellow blue. The history of such a trivial name as yellow blood salt is interesting. The fact is that at one time it was obtained by fusion with iron filings and potash of blood and other waste from slaughterhouses.
This substance gradually erodes in air, so the crystals, as a rule, are coated with a thin layer of protective varnish. The substance is well diluted in water, forming solutions of bright yellow color. When heated, the weathering process begins. Like the previous element, the yellow salt is toxic to the human body, as it quickly interacts with stomach acids, forming heavy toxins.
Therefore, the storage conditions of the crystals are similar - you can not expose them to water, acids, moisture, sunlight.
Use of Yellow Blood Salt
This substance is widely used in modern industry. For example, coloring pigments are made from salt. Some derivatives of yellow salt are used in the textile industry in dyeing fabrics, in particular silk.
Yellow salt is widely used in analytical chemistry to detect ions of certain substances in a solution. For example, in the reaction of salt with ferric ions, a very characteristic precipitate is formed called "Prussian blue." When interacting with zinc, a white salt precipitate is obtained. And during the reaction with cuprum, a reddish-orange precipitate is obtained.