potassium cyanide
Deadly chemical salt
Potassium cyanide is a highly toxic chemical compound, a white crystalline salt that releases deadly hydrogen cyanide gas when exposed to acid or moisture.
It has industrial uses in gold mining, electroplating, and chemical synthesis.
Its notoriety comes from its use as a poison—in suicides, murders, and mass deaths: The cult members died after drinking punch laced with potassium cyanide.
Causing or capable of death
- fatalCausing death or ruin
- deadlyAble to cause expiration
- poisonHarmful ingested substance
- toxicCapable of causing harm
hazardous · asphyxiation · cellular respiration · bitter almonds · antidote · sodium thiosulfate · lethal dose · ingestion
Combined into one
- inorganicNot from living matter
- crystallineClear, ordered, brilliant
- solubleAble to dissolve
- aqueousPertaining to liquid solutions
ions · anion · cation · salts · pH · precipitate · neutralization · titration
Electrically depositing metal layers
- miningExtracting earth's resources
- metal refiningPurifying ore into usable form
- case hardeningStrengthening metal's outer layer
- heat treatmentThermal processing of materials
galvanizing · fumigation · chemical synthesis · metallurgy · cyanidation · leaching
Destroys by chemical action
- volatileLiable to sudden change
- unstableProne to sudden change
- decompositionBreakdown into simpler parts
- hydrolysisWater-induced bond cleavage
oxidation · exothermic · neutralization · incompatible · acids · storage · stabilization
lethal
Causing or capable of death
toxic · hazardous · asphyxiation · cellular respiration · bitter almonds · antidote · sodium thiosulfate · lethal dose · ingestion · inhalation
compound
Combined into one
- inorganicNot from living matter
- crystallineClear, ordered, brilliant
- solubleAble to dissolve
aqueous · ions · anion · cation · salts · pH · precipitate · neutralization · titration · hydrolysis
electroplating
Electrically depositing metal layers
- miningExtracting earth's resources
- metal refiningPurifying ore into usable form
- case hardeningStrengthening metal's outer layer
heat treatment · galvanizing · fumigation · chemical synthesis · metallurgy · cyanidation · leaching
corrosive
Destroys by chemical action
- volatileLiable to sudden change
- unstableProne to sudden change
- decompositionBreakdown into simpler parts
hydrolysis · oxidation · exothermic · neutralization · incompatible · acids · storage · stabilization
- poisonsarsenic, hemlock, strychnine, belladonna, nightshade
- potassium compounds
- cyanidescyanogen
- mining chemicalscollectors, frothers, depressants, activators, frother
- basessodium hydroxide, lye, caustic soda, magnesium hydroxide, lithium hydroxide
potassium cyanideantidote
Substance neutralizing harmful agents
table salt · sodium chloride · cure · elixir of life · water