Potassium iodide

Potassium iodide (CAS 7681-11-0), commonly abbreviated as KI, is an inorganic iodine salt supplied across pharmaceutical, food, and industrial markets.

Where is Potassium iodide used?

• Pharmaceutical manufacturing: compounding thyroid-blocking preparations and expectorant syrups
• Food and nutrition: fortifying table salt and dietary supplements for iodine supplementation in regulated markets
• Chemical synthesis and catalysis: halide catalyst or reagent precursor in organic reactions
• Agricultural and feed: trace mineral supplement in animal feed formulations
• Photographic emulsions.
• Titrations in analytical chemistry.
• It functions primarily as an iodine source and a catalyst precursor.

Good to know: Pharmaceutical-grade material is subject to strict purity and heavy metal limits; technical-grade material is supplied for industrial and catalytic applications where compendial certification is not required. Also marketed as Thyro-Block and Pima.

Formulation notes

• Concomitant use with ACE inhibitors can induce hyperkalemia as well as cardiac arrhythmias or cardiac arrest; serum potassium concentrations should be monitored to avoid potassium toxicity.
• Concomitant use with lithium can enhance the hypothyroid and goitrogenic effects of either drug; thyroid status should be determined at baseline and at regular intervals.

Typical specification

• FDA-approved products include oral solution 65 mg/mL and oral tablets of 130 mg and 65 mg.
• Tablets are white to off-white, flat, with beveled edges, a cross score on one side, and a diameter of 9 mm.

Regulatory status

• In France, in line with IAEA and WHO recommendations, the thyroid protection threshold is set at 50 millisieverts.
• Persons with known iodine sensitivity, dermatitis herpetiformis, or hypocomplementemic vasculitis should avoid potassium iodide.

Storage, packaging and handling

• Tablets must be kept in their original packaging, in a dry place, out of reach of children and at no more than 25 °C.

Technical content is compiled and updated by the SoleChem product team from public technical sources; the certificate of analysis (COA) governs product-specific specifications.