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Sodium permanganate is a chemical compound of manganese. Its aqueous solutions are used as etchants in printed circuitry. Manganese is a naturally occurring metal with the symbol Mn and the atomic number 25. It does not occur naturally in its pure form, but is found in many types of rocks in combination with other substances such as oxygen, sulfur, or chlorine. Manganese occurs naturally in most foods and small amounts are needed to stay healthy, as manganese ions act as cofactors for a number of enzymes.

Sodium permanganate is the inorganic compound with the formula NaMnO4. It is closely related to the more commonly encountered potassium permanganate, but it is generally less desirable, because it is more expensive to produce. It is mainly available as the monohydrate. This salt absorbs water from the atmosphere and has a low melting point. Being about 15 times more soluble than KMnO4, sodium permanganate finds some applications where very high concentrations of MnO4− are sought.

Sodium permanganate appears as a purplish colored crystalline solid. Noncombustible but accelerates the burning of combustible material. If the combustible material is finely divided the mixture may be explosive. May spontaneously ignite in contact with liquid combustible materials. Contact with sulfuric acid may cause fires or explosions. Used in medicine, as a disinfectant, and for many other uses.

Uses Of Potassium Permanganate (KMnO₄)

There are wide applications of KMnO₄. Some important uses of potassium permanganate have been discussed below:

• Potassium permanganate is used in qualitative analysis to determine the permanganate value
• KMnO₄ is also used as a regeneration chemical in well water treatment for the removal of hydrogen sulphide and iron
• This compound is also used as a disinfectant to cure certain skin conditions like foot fungal infections, dermatitis
• Another important application of potassium permanganate is in the treatment of bacterial infections
• KMnO₄ is also known to be used in tanning leathers, printing fabrics
• This compound can even be used as a bleaching agent, as a pesticide, and as an antiseptic
• One of the most important industrial applications of potassium permanganate is as an oxidizing agent in the chemical synthesis of many important compounds.

Effects on Health

• In a concentrated form, potassium permanganate is an irritant to human eyes and skin. It can react with many reducing agents or organic material but it is inflammable.
• The antibacterial action of KMnO4 is dependent on the oxidation of proteins of bacteria or tissues by this compound. It leaves a stain on skin or tissues. Since it acts by destructive oxidation process on all organic matter, its use is restricted for external purposes only.
• Potassium permanganate acts as an antidote in barbiturates, chloral hydrate, and alkaloidal poisoning. A solution of 1:5000 of permanganate when used as a gastric wash, oxidizes poison and prevents their absorption.
• This compound is usually stored in tightly closed containers. Potassium permanganate should be handled with care since an explosion may occur when it comes in contact with readily oxidizable substances.

Sodium permanganate (NaMnO4) is a liquid chemical oxidant that is used to treat chlorinated solvents that contaminate soil and groundwater. It is a powerful oxidant that remediates chlorinated ethene compounds quickly and effectively. Because of its high solubility, its aqueous solutions are used as etchants in printed circuitry. It is gaining popularity in water treatment for taste, odor, and zebra mussel control. The V-2 rocket used it in combination with hydrogen peroxide to drive a steam turbopump.

Permanganate is a strong oxidant used primarily to control taste and odors, remove color, control biological growth in treatment plants, and remove iron and manganese.

Permanganate can also be used for controlling the formation of trihalomethanes and other disinfection byproducts by oxidizing precursors and reducing the demand for other disinfectants. Water Tech supplies 20% and 40% liquid sodium permanganate for these water treatments applications.

Permanganate has also shown to lower coagulant dose requirements and improve clarification. At full-scale water treatment applications, sodium or potassium permanganate is most commonly added early in the treatment process at the raw water intake. Permanganate oxidation may be followed by conventional treatment and filtration, granular activated carbon (GAC), membrane filtration, and chlorine disinfection. Dose, contact time, pH and temperature affect the effectiveness of permanganate application.

Sodium permanganate cannot be prepared analogously to the route to KMnO4 because the required intermediate manganate salt, Na2MnO4, does not form. Thus less direct routes are used including conversion from KMnO4.

Sodium permanganate behaves similarly to potassium permanganate. It dissolves readily in water to give deep purple solutions, evaporation of which gives prismatic purple-black glistening crystals of the monohydrate NaMnO4·H2O. The potassium salt does not form a hydrate. Because of its hygroscopic nature, it is less useful in analytical chemistry than its potassium counterpart.
It can be prepared by the reaction of manganese dioxide with sodium hypochlorite:

2 MnO₂ + 3 NaClO + 2 NaOH → 2 NaMnO₄ + 3 NaCl + H₂O

Sodium permanganate appears as a purplish colored crystalline solid. Noncombustible but accelerates the burning of combustible material. If the combustible material is finely divided the mixture may be explosive. May spontaneously ignite in contact with liquid combustible materials.

Chemical Properties Of Potassium Permanganate

• Potassium permanganate is a very strong oxidizing agent and can, therefore, be used as an oxidant in a wide spectrum of chemical reactions.
• The oxidizing power of potassium permanganate can be seen while performing a redox reaction with it, in which the dark purple solution turns colourless and then into a brown solution.
• The above reaction can be performed in an acidic or a basic medium.

Reactions Of Potassium Permanganate (KMnO₄)

1. Thermal decomposition:

When solid potassium permanganate is heated it undergoes decomposition. The reaction is as follows:
2KMnO₄ → K₂MnO₄ + MnO₂(s) + O₂

2.  Reaction with acid:

When permanganate reacts with concentrated hydrochloric acid it produces chlorine. In a neutral solution, permanganate is reduced by three electrons to produce manganese dioxide, where the oxidation state of manganese is +4. Potassium permanganate reduces spontaneously in an alkaline solution and turns into green K₂MnO_4.

3. Effect of Alkalies

On heating with alkalies, potassium permanganate changes into manganate and oxygen gas is evolved.
4KMnO₄ + 4KOH → 4K₂MnO₄ + 2H₂O + O₂

4. Oxidizing properties

KMnO₄ acts as a very powerful oxidizing agent in acidic, neutral and alkaline media. The equations representing oxidation in these media are

In acidic medium
2KMnO₄ + H₂SO₄ → K₂SO₄ + 2MnSO₄ + 3H₂O + 5[O] MnO₄^– + 8H⁺ + 5e^– → Mn²⁺ + 4H₂O

In neutral or alkaline medium
2KMnO₄ + H₂O → 2KOH + 2MnO₂ + 3[O] MnO₄^– + 2H₂O + 3e^– → MnO₂ + 4OH^–