Potassium Gluconate

About This Product

Potassium gluconate is the potassium salt of gluconic acid, the mild organic acid obtained by oxidising glucose. It is a white to off-white crystalline powder, freely soluble in water and practically odourless, and carries the food additive number E577. It is bought for one of two reasons, and they rarely overlap. The first is the potassium itself: gluconate is a well-tolerated, highly soluble and effectively tasteless carrier, so it is the usual choice for potassium fortification in beverages, supplements and electrolyte formulations, and in pharmaceutical preparations for potassium replacement, where a chloride salt would be harsh and a hydroxide impossible. The second is the gluconate anion, which chelates calcium, iron and other polyvalent metal ions across a wide pH range and stays effective in strong alkali, where EDTA and most phosphates fail. That puts it into bottle-washing and clean-in-place formulations, metal surface treatment and textile processing. Alongside the sodium salt it is also used as a concrete admixture and set retarder. Whichever role it plays, it is readily biodegradable and free of the environmental objections that attach to phosphonates and aminopolycarboxylates, which is increasingly why it is chosen. It is used in potassium fortification of beverages, supplements and electrolyte drinks, in pharmaceutical potassium preparations, as a chelating agent in alkaline cleaning and bottle washing, in metal surface treatment and textile processing, and as a concrete admixture. Bio Green Chem supplies potassium gluconate to specification on assay, loss on drying, pH, heavy metals and reducing substances, in 25 kg bags. State whether a food, pharmaceutical or technical grade is required.