Acesulfame potassium Acesulfame potassium Acesulfame potassium ( ), also known as acesulfame K (K is the symbol for potassium) or Ace K, is a calorie-free sugar substitute (artificial sweetener) often marketed under the trade names Sunett and Sweet One. In the European Union, it is known under the E number (additive code) E950. It was discovered accidentally in 1967 by German chemist Karl Clauss at Hoechst AG (now Nutrinova). In chemical structure, acesulfame potassium is the potassium salt of 6-methyl-1,2,3-oxathiazine-4(3"H")-one 2,2-dioxide. It is a white crystalline powder with molecular formula and a molecular weight of 201.24 g/mol. Acesulfame K is 200 times
Potassium potassium is a necessary element for plants and that most types of soil lack potassium caused a steep rise in demand for potassium salts. Wood-ash from fir trees was initially used as a potassium salt source for fertilizer, but, with the discovery in 1868 of mineral deposits containing potassium chloride near Staßfurt, Germany, the production of potassium-containing fertilizers began at an industrial scale. Other potash deposits were discovered, and by the 1960s Canada became the dominant producer. Potassium "metal" was first isolated in 1807 by Sir Humphry Davy, who derived it from caustic potash (KOH, potassium hydroxide) by electrolysis of