Sciencemadness Discussion Board

Potassium Iodide

DFliyerz - 11-4-2016 at 09:52

While looking for a source of iodine, I found Purebulk selling pure potassium iodide: http://purebulk.com/potassium-iodide-powder/

A quick calculation shows the price as $0.43 - $0.12 per gram depending on the amount purchased at once. Has anyone had experience purchasing potassium iodide from the supplier, or know of legal restrictions to purchasing it?

Alkoxide - 11-4-2016 at 10:55

I bought powdered caffeine from them a few years ago without an issue. I don't believe there are any restrictions on KI

JJay - 11-4-2016 at 18:47

Those aren't exactly screaming deals on potassium iodide, although it does look like it's food grade.

DFliyerz - 11-4-2016 at 20:54

Quote: Originally posted by JJay  
Those aren't exactly screaming deals on potassium iodide, although it does look like it's food grade.


What's a good source for potassium iodide? I'm unsure about what a good price is.

JJay - 11-4-2016 at 21:13

There are a number of sellers on everyone's favorite auction site that are cheaper (goldcloudinc and oneworldonedream come to mind, but there are others). I've also seen good prices on AliExpress and BangGood. Occasionally, someone will sell some on this board at a good price.

Sparklehorse - 15-4-2016 at 08:19

I've gotten KI from them before, no issues

chemrox - 15-4-2016 at 10:09

Quote: Originally posted by JJay  
There are a number of sellers on everyone's favorite auction site that are cheaper (goldcloudinc and oneworldonedream come to mind, but there are others). I've also seen good prices on AliExpress and BangGood. Occasionally, someone will sell some on this board at a good price.

I know AliExpress. Could you please post the urls for the others? Spectrum is really expensive and TCI doesn't have a lot of my wants.

How much iodine? I have some I use for chromatography and I see it on ebay from time to time. I could let a little go. (I've had the 1oo g bottle for 10 years)

[Edited on 15-4-2016 by chemrox]

JJay - 15-4-2016 at 10:21

I could... these are pretty commonly known sources... eBay? Search for potassium iodide and shop around....

Finding elemental iodine is a bit harder since it is illegal to sell in large quantities in the U.S. without a lot of paperwork (and it's highly questionable whether it is even legal to sell small quantities to customers without DEA permits and so forth), but you can find it if you shop around. Of course, for all I know, everyone who sells it openly is a con artist.... You can legally make iodine for professional chemistry purposes without any DEA permits as long as you aren't supplying it to others.

UC235 - 15-4-2016 at 22:09

Purebulk is an excellent supplier of many things, in my experience. Iodide salts are not formally watched in any way that I am aware, but they are not all that cheap for KI, it would seem. Expect to pay 10-15 cents per gram for KI.

S.C. Wack - 16-4-2016 at 10:29

Quote: Originally posted by JJay  
it's highly questionable whether it is even legal to sell small quantities to customers without DEA permits and so forth


There's no question that anything over 2.2% w/v is list 1 with no threshold, except for up to 30 ml of Lugol's, specifically exempted.

Iodide has been expensive since the first controls on iodine, and before that. Once in a while iodate is the better deal by mw, when one also doesn't really want iodide.

The ephedra-related laws as they are has reduced pressure on control of nonelemental iodine, but I'm sure that some organization's model legislation that includes it will infect the system eventually.

JJay - 16-4-2016 at 16:36

I think elemental iodine sales should be legalized. Iodine is extremely useful and rarely used to make methamphetamine despite relatively easy availability (through iodine-containing salts). There seems to be little reason for the government to restrict potassium iodide sales.