Potassium Dichromate Supplier in South Africa

What Is Potassium Dichromate?

Potassium dichromate (K₂Cr₂O₇) is a bright orange-red crystalline solid and a primary standard in analytical chemistry. It is a strong oxidising agent that reacts predictably in acidic aqueous solution, making it ideal for volumetric analysis, particularly in the standardisation of iron and chemical oxygen demand (COD) measurements in water quality testing. Industrial grades serve in surface treatment and chemical manufacturing.

Analytical Chemistry & Water Testing

Potassium dichromate is used as a primary standard in redox titrations because it is stable, highly pure, and non-hygroscopic. It is the reagent of choice for COD determination in wastewater and environmental monitoring, and for the cerimetric titration of iron. Laboratories across Southern Africa use potassium dichromate in routine water quality, metallurgical, and chemical analysis workflows.

Leather Tanning & Textile Dyeing

In the leather industry, potassium dichromate is reduced to chromium(III) in the presence of organic acids to produce the chrome tanning agent. This process converts raw hides into soft, durable leather. As a textile mordant, it fixes chrome dyes firmly to wool fibres, producing deep, light-fast colours in carpet and worsted fabric manufacturing.

Industrial Oxidation & Pyrotechnics

Potassium dichromate acts as an oxidiser in safety match compositions and in certain pyrotechnic formulations. In chemical synthesis it oxidises alcohols, aldehydes, and aromatic side-chains. It is also used in the preparation of chromium oxide catalysts. Safe packaging, MSDS documentation, and regulatory compliance data are supplied with every delivery.