Potassium nitrate is used in industrial applications, including the manufacture of glass, matches, and fluxes, and for the tempering of steel. It is also commonly used in dental research. Potassium nitrate is a source of nitrate in studies of plant and bacterial growth. Potassium nitrate has been used in the ion chromatography of transition and heavy metal ions. It has also been utilized in the synthesis of thiophenecarboxamides.