Potash
About Potash
About Potash
Potash, also known as potassium chloride, is the common term for fertilizer forms of the element potassium (K). The term is widely applied to naturally occurring potassium salts, and the commercial products that are developed from them. The name derives from the collection of wood ash in metal pots when the beneficial fertilizer properties of this material were first recognized many centuries ago.
Potash in Nature
Potassium occurs abundantly in nature. It is the 7th most common element in the earth’s crust. Certain clay minerals associated with heavy soils are rich sources of K, containing as much as 17% potash. Sea water typically contains 390 mg/L K representing a huge total amount of the element globally. Small quantities of K naturally occur in rain – up to 4 parts-per-million. Of course K in these forms is not economically extractable, and thus not yet used to produce the K required to meet global demand.
Large potash bearing rock deposits occur in many regions of the world deriving from the minerals in ancient seas which dried up millions of years ago. Potash for fertilizer is mainly derived from this potash rock, requiring only separation from the salt and other minerals and physical grading into a form suitable for fertilizer manufacture or farm spreading.
Potash is typically found in various forms of ore deposits, including:
Potassium Chloride Compounds
The compound potassium oxide (K2O) is used as a quality metric, as it measures the concentration of potassium in rock deposits as well as in commercial potash products.
The Need For Potash
Potassium fulfills many vital functions in a wide variety of processes in plants, animals and man.
If the world’s farmers stopped growing food today, there would only be enough grain inventories to feed the world’s population for slightly less than two months. As a result, 95% of globally produced potash is applied as a fertilizer to help feed the world’s growing population.
Benefits of potash include:
Potash has no commercial substitute as a potassium fertilizer source.
Potash is primarily applied to large yielding crops such as cereals, oilseeds, potatoes, sugar beets, pulses, and forage crops.
Potash is also used as a feed supplement, as it contributes to both animal growth and milk production. Additionally, potash has several industrial purposes, including the production of glass, ceramics, and soaps.
Visual Comparison of Impact of Potash
Improved Farmer Economics
Numerous studies have been conducted that highlight the economic benefits of optimal potash fertilizer applications. With the optimal mix of potash and nitrogen fertilizers, a farmer’s potential profits can double.
Improved Farmer Economics With Optimal Potash Application
The Global Potash Cycle
Fertilizer potash forms part of a long-term global cycle of potassium which is both sustainable and natural:
Potash, also known as potassium chloride, is the common term for fertilizer forms of the element potassium (K). The term is widely applied to naturally occurring potassium salts, and the commercial products that are developed from them. The name derives from the collection of wood ash in metal pots when the beneficial fertilizer properties of this material were first recognized many centuries ago.
Potash in Nature
Potassium occurs abundantly in nature. It is the 7th most common element in the earth’s crust. Certain clay minerals associated with heavy soils are rich sources of K, containing as much as 17% potash. Sea water typically contains 390 mg/L K representing a huge total amount of the element globally. Small quantities of K naturally occur in rain – up to 4 parts-per-million. Of course K in these forms is not economically extractable, and thus not yet used to produce the K required to meet global demand.
Large potash bearing rock deposits occur in many regions of the world deriving from the minerals in ancient seas which dried up millions of years ago. Potash for fertilizer is mainly derived from this potash rock, requiring only separation from the salt and other minerals and physical grading into a form suitable for fertilizer manufacture or farm spreading.
Potash is typically found in various forms of ore deposits, including:
Potassium Chloride Compounds
|
Ore |
Mineral compound |
K2O % |
|
Sylvite |
KCl |
63 |
|
Sylvinite |
KCl + NaCl |
35 |
|
Carnallite |
KCl + MgCl2 +6H2O |
17 |
|
Kainite |
KCl + MgSO4 + 3H2O |
19 |
|
Langbeinite |
K2SO4 + 2MgSO4 |
23 |
|
Polyhalite |
K2S4 + MgSO4 + 2CaSO4 + H2O |
16 |
|
Alunite |
K2SO4 + Al2(SO4)3 + 4Al(OH)3 |
11 |
The compound potassium oxide (K2O) is used as a quality metric, as it measures the concentration of potassium in rock deposits as well as in commercial potash products.
The Need For Potash
Potassium fulfills many vital functions in a wide variety of processes in plants, animals and man.
If the world’s farmers stopped growing food today, there would only be enough grain inventories to feed the world’s population for slightly less than two months. As a result, 95% of globally produced potash is applied as a fertilizer to help feed the world’s growing population.
Benefits of potash include:
- Slows growth of crop diseases
- Maintains cell resilience
- Reduces wilting
- Reduces water loss
- Increases the protein available to plants
- Assists in photosynthesis by activating more than 50 enzymes
- Improves drought resistance
- Builds cellulose
- Generally reduces the development of weak stocks, leading indirectly to increased crop yields
Potash has no commercial substitute as a potassium fertilizer source.
Potash is primarily applied to large yielding crops such as cereals, oilseeds, potatoes, sugar beets, pulses, and forage crops.
Potash is also used as a feed supplement, as it contributes to both animal growth and milk production. Additionally, potash has several industrial purposes, including the production of glass, ceramics, and soaps.
Visual Comparison of Impact of Potash
Source: International Plant Nutrition Institute
Improved Farmer Economics
Numerous studies have been conducted that highlight the economic benefits of optimal potash fertilizer applications. With the optimal mix of potash and nitrogen fertilizers, a farmer’s potential profits can double.
Improved Farmer Economics With Optimal Potash Application
Source: The Fertilizer Handbook
The Global Potash Cycle
Fertilizer potash forms part of a long-term global cycle of potassium which is both sustainable and natural:
Source: The Potash Development Association
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