käytössäkaliumbikarbonaatti

Potassium bicarbonate, also known as potassium hydrogen carbonate, is a chemical compound with the formula KHCO3. It is a white solid, soluble in water, and a weak base. In Finnish, it is referred to as kaliumbikarbonaatti. It is an isomer of potassium carbonate and is commonly found in nature in mineral form, such as in certain mineral waters.

Potassium bicarbonate has several practical applications. It is widely used as a food additive, identified by the E number E501(ii). In this capacity, it acts as a leavening agent in baking, reacting with acids to produce carbon dioxide gas, which causes dough to rise. It can also be used as a pH regulator in food products.

Beyond its culinary uses, potassium bicarbonate is employed in medicine as an antacid to relieve heartburn and indigestion by neutralizing stomach acid. It is also used as a potassium supplement for individuals with hypokalemia, a condition characterized by low potassium levels in the blood. In agriculture, it can serve as a fertilizer to provide potassium to plants and as a fungicide to control certain plant diseases. Its buffering properties make it useful in various industrial processes as well.