How Does Potassium Aluminate React With Water?

When potassium aluminate is added to water, it undergoes hydrolysis, meaning that it reacts with water and breaks down into its constituent ions. Specifically, the potassium aluminate dissociates into potassium ions (K+) and aluminate ions (AlO2-). This reaction is exothermic, meaning that it releases heat. The resulting solution will be basic due to the presence of the aluminate ion, which can hydrolyze further to produce hydroxide ions (OH-) as well. The overall reaction can be represented as:

KAlO2 + H2O → KOH + Al(OH)3

The potassium aluminate salt reacts with water to form potassium hydroxide and aluminum hydroxide.