Potassium Hydroxide Pellets (Caustic Potash)
- Personal care: The saponification of fats with KOH is used to prepare the corresponding "potassium soaps", which are softer than the more common sodium hydroxide-derived soaps
- Chemical intermediates: Potassium hydroxide is a highly caustic alkali, soluble in water, and is commonly used as a strong base in (organic) chemical synthesis.
- Pharmaceutical industry: The pharmaceutical application of KOH is commonly in preparation of the drugs for treating high blood uric acid.
- Food applications: In food products, potassium hydroxide acts as a food thickener, pH control agent, and food stabilizer. It is known in the E number system as E525.
- Electronics: potassium hydroxide is employed as the electrolyte in alkaline batteries based on nickel-cadmium, nickel-hydrogen, and manganese dioxide-zinc. Potassium hydroxide is preferred over sodium hydroxide because its solutions are more conductive.