Technical Specifications:

Physical state and appearance	Solid. (crystalline powder.)
Odor	Not available
Taste	Not available
Molecular Weight	329.25 g/mole
Color	Red
pH (1% soln/water)	Not available
Boiling Point	Not available
Melting Point	Decomposes
Critical Temperature	Not available
Specific Gravity	1.85 (Water = 1)
Vapor Pressure	Not applicable
Vapor Density	Not available
Volatility	Not available
Odor Threshold	Not available
Water/Oil Dist. Coeff	Not available
Ionicity (in Water)	Not available
Dispersion Properties	See solubility in water
Solubility	Soluble in cold water
Stability	The product is stable
Instability Temperature	Not available
Conditions of Instability	Heat, light, incompatible materials
Incompatibility with various substances	Reactive with acids
Corrosivity	Non-corrosive in presence of glass

Application:

Potassium ferricyanide is also one of two compounds present in ferroxyl indicator solution (along with phenolphthalein) which turns blue (Prussian blue) in the presence of Fe2+ ions, and which can therefore be used to detect metal oxidation that will lead to rust. It is possible to calculate the number of moles of Fe2+ ions by using a colorimeter, because of the very intense color of Prussian blue Fe4[Fe(CN)6]3.

 

SAFETY :

Potassium ferricyanide has very low toxicity, its main hazard being that it is a mild irritant to the eyes and skin. However, under very strongly acidic conditions, highly toxic hydrogen cyanide gas is evolved, according to the equation:

6 H+ + [Fe(CN)6]3%u2212 %u2192 6 HCN + Fe3+[9]

The reaction with hydrochloric acid is as follows:

6 HCl + K3[Fe(CN)6] %u2192 6 HCN + FeCl3 + 3 KCl

 

Note: This article uses material from the http://rxmarine.com/