Potassium Ferrate—Green and Environmentally Friendly High-Efficiency Oxidant

Under the high standards of today's environmental governance and industrial production, potassium ferrate has become the preferred oxidant in many industries due to its strong oxidizing properties, good flocculation properties, and environmental protection characteristics. Whether it is water treatment, chemical production, pharmaceutical synthesis, or high-end electronic manufacturing, potassium ferrate has shown excellent application value.

Potassium ferrate is an inorganic substance with a chemical formula of K₂FeO₄. The pure product is a dark, shiny purple powder. It is stable below 198°C. It is easily soluble in water to form a light purple-red solution. After standing, it will decompose and release oxygen, and hydrated ferric oxide will precipitate. The alkalinity of the solution increases with decomposition. It is quite stable in a strong alkaline solution and is an excellent oxidant. It has a highly efficient disinfection effect.

Potassium ferrate is a new type of non-chlorine green disinfectant that is highly efficient and multifunctional. It is mainly used for drinking water treatment, which can quickly kill bacteria and viruses in water, remove some organic pollutants and heavy metal ions in water, decolorize and deodorize, condense circulating water to control the formation of biological slime, and treat phenolic and cyanide cadmium plating wastewater. Oxidized starch is produced for paper surface sizing and textile finishing. In chemical production, it can be used to oxidize sulfonic acid, nitrite, ferrocyanide, and other inorganic substances. It is used to remove manganese, antimony, and arsenic during zinc smelting; in the tobacco industry, it is used for cigarette filters, etc.

1.Detoxification: Potassium ferrate can oxidize toxic and harmful inorganic and organic substances, reducing the toxicity of harmful waste to farmed animals.

2. Deodorization: Oxidize ammonia and hydrogen sulfide to eliminate the stench at the bottom of the pool.

3. Water purification: condense suspended matter, small particles, and macromolecular organic matter in water to purify water quality.

4. Kill life: kill bacteria and algae, and regulate the biological population of water bodies.

5. Oxidation, flocculation, and killing are three-pronged, thoroughly cleaning the water from the microscopic to the macroscopic level, creating a comfortable living space for farmed animals.

Advantages of potassium ferrate

1.Super strong oxidation ability: Potassium ferrate has a higher oxidation ability than potassium permanganate and ozone and can efficiently degrade organic pollutants and heavy metals in water.

2. Good flocculation effect: It can promote the coagulation of suspended particles and improve the efficiency of solid-liquid separation.

3. Environmental protection and no residue: Harmless iron hydroxide (Fe(OH)₃) precipitation is generated during the oxidation process, without secondary pollution.

4. Broad-spectrum sterilization and disinfection: It can effectively kill bacteria, viruses, and microorganisms in water bodies and is particularly suitable for sewage treatment and medical wastewater disinfection.

Application case sharing

1. Potassium ferrate has become a new type of green and environmentally friendly water treatment material.

It can be widely used in the oxidation, disinfection, and sterilization of water and wastewater. Therefore, ferrate is a new type of highly efficient, non-toxic, and multifunctional water treatment agent that has attracted much attention. In the process of drinking water treatment, the comprehensive performance of integrating eight major characteristics, such as oxidation, adsorption, flocculation, precipitation, sterilization, disinfection, decolorization, and deodorization, is incomparable to other water treatment agents.

2. Potassium ferrate is used for the treatment of industrial wastewater and urban domestic sewage.

It has a good removal effect on BOD, COD, lead, cadmium, sulfur, etc., in wastewater. 10 mg-20 mg/child potassium ferrate oxidizes 96% of BOD, removes 86% of ammonia nitrogen, and 75% of phosphorus.

3. Potassium ferrate is used for fish pond aquaculture water treatment

It can increase the dissolved oxygen content of the water body and has a good removal effect on ammonia nitrogen, nitrite, and algae in the water body. It is used to remove fulvic acid, suspended solids in the water, and eutrophication in freshwater. The water body sterilization, disinfection, and purification effects are unique.

4. Potassium ferrate is used for marine antifouling treatment.

It is mixed with peroxide as a non-toxic and harmless marine antifouling agent. When their mass is 2×10⁻⁸ and 3×10⁻⁷, respectively, it shows almost 100% antifouling effect. Its good synergistic function is much better than the effect of using it alone. It can be used for the purification of offshore farms and offshore environments.

5. Potassium ferrate is used for the regeneration of swimming pool water.

It can be applied to the recycling and regeneration of swimming pool water. It not only disinfects and sterilizes but also removes dirt and suspended solids brought in by the human body. It has no harm and irritation to the human body, is safe and odorless, and is easy to add. Therefore, it is very suitable to replace chlorine for disinfection, purification, and regeneration of swimming pool water.

6. Potassium ferrate is used for the treatment of radioactive wastewater and for the removal of arsenic and cyanide ions. It has excellent performance in the treatment of radioactive wastewater. When potassium ferrate is used to treat wastewater containing americium and plutonium, the total alpha rays can be reduced from 3.0×106 Pci/L to below 3.0×103 Pci/L (1 Pci = 1012 ci) at a pH value of 11.5-12.

Mechanism of action

The iron in potassium ferrate is +6 valent iron, which is different from the +2 or +3 valent state of general iron ions. It has strong oxidation activity in the entire pH range, and the oxidation potential can reach 2.20V, which is much higher than potassium permanganate and potassium dichromate. It can directly oxidize ammonia to nitrate, oxidize hydrogen sulfide to sulfate, and oxidize organic matter to carbon dioxide and water. It can both deodorize and detoxify. Since Fe (VI) in high iron does not directly convert into Fe³⁺ when it decomposes in water but undergoes an intermediate form evolution from hexavalent to trivalent ions with different charges, positive hydrolysis products will be produced during the conversion process. These products have a large mesh structure, compressing and electrically neutralizing the colloidal impurity diffusion layer in the water, thus showing a unique flocculation effect.

Potassium ferrate can release oxygen after entering the water, so potassium ferrate has a strong oxygen release capacity and can supplement the lack of dissolved oxygen in the water.

As a highly water-soluble bactericide, potassium ferrate can destroy the cell wall, cell membrane, and some substances in the cell structure of microorganisms (such as enzymes) through strong oxidation, inhibit the synthesis of proteins and nucleic acids, hinder the growth and reproduction of microorganisms, and play a role in killing algae and bacteria.

Frequency of use

The frequency of using potassium ferrate should be determined according to the cleaning needs and actual conditions. Generally speaking, potassium ferrate can be used for cleaning pipes and descaling. However, excessive use of potassium ferrate may cause unnecessary damage to facilities such as pipelines and also have a negative impact on the environment.

Therefore, it is recommended that potassium ferrate be used no more than once a year, and attention should also be paid to dosage and usage to reduce the impact on the environment and facilities.

Potassium ferrate is becoming a new favorite in water treatment, industrial production, medical disinfection, and other fields due to its excellent oxidation ability, wide application fields, and environmental protection characteristics. Whether it is to improve water quality, optimize industrial wastewater treatment, or ensure public health safety, potassium ferrate can provide efficient and green solutions. If you are looking for an efficient and environmentally friendly oxidant, potassium ferrate will be your best choice!