What Is Permanganic Acid?
Permanganic acid, represented by the chemical formula HMnO4, is a black-purple crystal. It is a potassium permanganate compound but, despite its name, does not contain a peroxide bond (-O-O-) and is not a peracid.
This acid is produced by reacting barium permanganate with sulfuric acid in aqueous solution. It cannot be isolated as a free acid and only exists in solution. Permanganic acid tends to decompose at high concentrations and is also sensitive to heat and light, leading to the formation of manganese(IV) oxide hydrate.
Uses of Permanganic Acid
As a strong oxidizing agent, permanganic acid has various applications. Potassium permanganate, a common permanganate salt, is used as an analytical reagent and bleaching agent for textiles, resins, fats, and oils. It also finds use in pharmaceutical production, sewage and industrial effluent treatment, metal surface treatment, and the purification of inorganic and organic acids. Additionally, it serves as an odor and organic matter remover, and for cleaning tankers.
Other compounds like zinc permanganate and silver(I) permanganate are also utilized as oxidizing agents, leveraging their potent chemical properties.