Potassium bicarbonate dry chemical fire extinguishers, as the principal component of the Purple-K dry chemical, and in some applications of condensed aerosol fire suppression. It is the only dry chemical fire suppression agent recognized by the U.S. National Fire Protection Association for firefighting at airport crash rescue sites. It is about twice as effective in fire suppression as sodium bicarbonate. Potassium bicarbonate is an effective fungicide against powdery mildew and apple scab, allowed for use in organic farming. Potassium bicarbonate has widespread use in crops, especially for neutralizing acidic soil. The word "saleratus", from Latin "sal æratus" meaning "aerated salt", was widely
Period 5 element Niobium, or columbium, is a chemical element with the symbol Nb and atomic number 41. It is a soft, grey, ductile transition metal, which is often found in the pyrochlore mineral, the main commercial source for niobium, and columbite. The name comes from Greek mythology: "Niobe", daughter of "Tantalus". Niobium has physical and chemical properties similar to those of the element tantalum, and the two are therefore difficult to distinguish. The English chemistCharles Hatchett reported a new element similar to tantalum in 1801, and named it columbium. In 1809, the English chemist William Hyde Wollaston wrongly concluded that tantalum and