A bright yellow crystalline solid, K2CrO4, soluble in water and insoluble in alcohol; rhombic; r.d. 2.73; m.p. 968.3°C; decomposes without boiling. It is produced industrially by roasting powdered chromite ore with potassium hydroxide and limestone and leaching the resulting cinder with hot potassium sulphate solution. Potassium chromate is used in leather finishing, as a textile mordant, and in enamels and pigments. In the laboratory it is used as an analytical reagent and as an indicator. Like other chromium(III) compounds it is toxic when ingested or inhaled.