Potassium humate properties, The molecular structure of potassium humate has a group such as a carboxyl group and a phenolic hydroxyl group, which makes it weakly acidic.
Molecular Formula: C9H8K2O4Molecular Weight: 258.35 g/molChemical Safety: Laboratory Chemical Safety …PubChem CID: 15436335
Therefore, potassium humate can be quantitatively reacted with carbonates, acetates, and the like. A buffer solution consisting of potassium humate and its salts can adjust the pH of the soil to grow the crop at a suitable pH.
Ion exchangeability: Some functional groups on the potassium humate molecule, such as H+ on the carboxyl-COOH, can be replaced by metal ions such as Na+, K+, NH4+ to form weak acid salts, so they have a high ion exchange capacity. The ion exchange capacity of potassium humate is related to pH.
When the pH is increased from 4.5 to 8.1, the ion exchange capacity of potassium humate increases from 1.7 mmol/g to 5.9 mmol/g.
Complexation performance: Since potassium humate contains a large number of functional groups, it can form complexes or chelates with some metal ions (such as Al3+, Fe2+, Ca2+, Cu2+, Cr3+, etc.).
The functional groups involved in metal complexation or chelation in the potassium humate structure are generally carboxyl groups and phenolic hydroxyl groups, possibly also carbonyl and amine groups.
Physiological activity: The physiological activity of potassium humate refers to the ability of potassium humate to promote physiological activities of living organisms.
The physiological activity of potassium humate appears to stimulate plant growth and metabolism, improve fruit quality and enhance plant stress resistance, but it is related to the concentration of potassium humate and the molecular weight of potassium humate.
There is no better way to enhance the economics of farming, than to build soil humus and enhance the natural processes, such as microbial activity, which can be sustained over a long period of life.
Potassium humate derived from lignite brown coal are alkaline, rich in carboxylic and phenolic groups, aromatic in nature and provide favourable conditions for biological activity, chemical reactions and physical improvement of soil. Accumulation level of natural humic acids like potassium humate has shown to reduce the need for commercial fertilizers because it improves fertilizer efficiency.
The utilization of humic acid has been found to reduce the leaching of fertilizers and pesticides into aquifer and surface waters. By using humic acids, growers will gradually reduce application macro and micronutrients fertilizers application with addition to the improvement of overall crop yields .