Potash
Potash
Potash (/ˈpoʊtæʃ/) is a group of potassium-bearing minerals and chemicals, including potassium carbonate and potassium chloride. The name derives from pot ash, which refers to plant ashes soaked in water in a pot, the primary means of manufacturing the product before the industrial era.
Etymology
The term "potash" comes from the Middle Dutch word potaschen. The old method of making potash was to boil tree ash in pots to create a potassium-rich substance.
Production
Potash is produced worldwide in amounts exceeding 90 million tonnes per year, mostly for use in fertilizers. Various types of fertilizer-potash constitute the single largest industrial use of the element potassium in the world. Potassium was first derived in 1807 by electrolysis of caustic potash (potassium hydroxide).
Uses
Potash has been used since antiquity in the manufacture of glass and soap, but is used primarily as a fertilizer, with 95% of all potash produced being used in this manner. The two main types of potash are: Muriate of Potash (MOP, Potassium Chloride) and Sulphate of Potash (SOP, Potassium Sulphate).
Related Terms
- Potassium: A chemical element with the symbol K (from Neo-Latin kalium) and atomic number 19. Potash includes various mined and manufactured salts that contain potassium in water-soluble form.
- Muriate of Potash (MOP): Also known as Potassium Chloride, it is a type of potash used primarily as a fertilizer.
- Sulphate of Potash (SOP): Another type of potash, it is a non-flammable white crystalline salt which is soluble in water.
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Potash
- Wikipedia's article - Potash
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