Difference between revisions of "Potash" - New World Encyclopedia

Latest revision as of 05:51, 30 November 2022

Potash

The term potash has more than one meaning. In a narrow sense, it refers to the salt potassium carbonate (K₂CO₃). In a broader sense, it is a generic term for various water-soluble potassium salts that may be mined or manufactured.^[1]

Potash has been used since antiquity in the manufacture of glass, ceramics, and soap. Today, potash (in the form of potassium oxide) is used mainly as a fertilizer.

Etymology

The name is derived by combining the English words pot and ash, referring to its discovery in the water-soluble fraction of wood ash. The element potassium was named after the word potash.

Various meanings

The term has become somewhat ambiguous due to the substitution in fertilizers of cheaper potassium salts, such as potassium chloride (KCl) or potassium oxide (K₂O), to which the same common name is now sometimes also applied. In addition, potassium hydroxide (KOH) is commonly called caustic potash, an additional source of confusion.

Various chemical compounds containing potassium have the word potash in their traditional names, as noted in the table below.

Traditional Name	Chemical Name	Chemical Formula
potash fertilizer	potassium oxide	K₂O
caustic potash or potash lye	potassium hydroxide	KOH
carbonate of potash, salts of tartar, or pearlash	potassium carbonate	K₂CO₃
chlorate of potash	potassium chlorate	KClO₃
muriate of potash	potassium chloride	KCl
nitrate of potash or saltpeter	potassium nitrate	KNO₃
sulfate of potash	potassium sulfate	K₂SO₄

Historical production

Prior to the twentieth century, potash was one of the most important chemicals in the industrialized West. Extracted from the ashes of broadleaved trees, it was produced primarily in the forested areas of Europe, Russia, and North America. The first U.S. patent was issued in 1790 to Samuel Hopkins for an improvement in making "Pot ash and Pearl ash by a new Apparatus and Process."

In the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century, potash production provided North American settlers a way to obtain badly needed cash and credit as they cleared their wooded land for crops. To make full use of their land, excess wood, including stumps, needed to be disposed. The easiest way to accomplish this was to burn any wood not needed for fuel or construction. Ashes from hardwood trees were used to produce lye (potassium hydroxide), which was in turn used to make soap or boiled down to produce potash.

Hardwood could generate ashes at the rate of 60 to 100 bushels per acre (500 to 900 cubic meters per square kilometer (m³/km²)). In 1790, ashes could be sold for $3.25 to $6.25 per acre ($800 to $1500/km²) in rural New York State—nearly the same rate as hiring a laborer to clear the same area.

The refined potash was in increasing demand in Europe for use in the production of glass and ceramic goods. American hardwoods, besides being more abundant, are said to have provided a higher yield of quality potash than European wood. In some parts, potash receipts became a common form of currency. Some settlers found potash production to be quite lucrative. Unfortunately, this approach to generating fast cash increased the pace of deforestation, adversely affecting the wildlife and ecosystems of those areas.

Current production

Today, 14 countries produce most of the world's supply of potash, by mining and manufacturing processes. The main supply comes from Saskatchewan, Canada, and additional supplies are generated in Russia, Belarus, Germany, Israel, and Jordan. Among them, Israel and Jordan use solar evaporation pans at the Dead Sea to produce carnallite from which potassium chloride is produced.

Northeastern Thailand's Udon Thani province has also been identified as one of the world's richest potash reserves and could potentially become a major exporter of the mineral. Mining of this area, however, has been delayed by public opposition. Many villagers who live directly above the proposed mine site have expressed concerns about adverse effects such as land subsidence and salinization of groundwater and soil. These effects would threaten the economic stability of local communities that rely primarily on rice farming for survival.

Notes

↑ Potash USGS Minerals Information. Retrieved October 9, 2007.

References
ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

Garrett, Donald E. 1995. Potash: Deposits, Processing, Properties and Uses. London: Chapman & Hall. ISBN 0412990717
Highley, David, et al. 2006. Potash British Geological Survey. Retrieved October 9, 2007.
Keesler, M. Paul. 2002. The Yankee Invasion: They Burned The Woods and Sold the Ashes Mohawk: Discovering the Valley of the Crystals. Retrieved October 9, 2007.

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Potash ^history

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[1] Potash USGS Minerals Information. Retrieved October 9, 2007.

[1]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-{{Claimed}}
+{{Copyedited}}{{Images OK}}{{Submitted}}{{Approved}}{{Paid}}
 [[Image:PotashUSGOV.jpg|thumb|250px|Potash]]
-The term '''potash''' has more than one meaning. In a narrow sense, it refers to the salt [[potassium carbonate]] ([[potassium|K]]<sub>2</sub>[[carbonate|CO<sub>3</sub>]]). In a broader sense, it is a generic term for various water-soluble potassium salts that may be mined or manufactured.<ref>[http://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/potash/ Potash.] ''USGS Minerals Information''. Retrieved May 11, 2007.</ref>
+The term '''potash''' has more than one meaning. In a narrow sense, it refers to the salt [[potassium carbonate]] ([[potassium|K]]<sub>2</sub>[[carbonate|CO<sub>3</sub>]]). In a broader sense, it is a generic term for various water-soluble potassium salts that may be mined or manufactured.<ref>[http://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/potash/ Potash] ''USGS Minerals Information''. Retrieved October 9, 2007.</ref>
+{{toc}}
-Potash has been used since [[Ancient history|antiquity]] in the manufacture of [[glass]] and [[soap]]. Today, it is mainly used as a [[fertilizer]].
+Potash has been used since [[Ancient history|antiquity]] in the manufacture of [[glass]], [[ceramic]]s, and [[soap]]. Today, potash (in the form of potassium oxide) is used mainly as a [[fertilizer]].
 == Etymology ==
@@ Line 14: / Line 14: @@
 The term has become somewhat ambiguous due to the [[substitution]] in fertilizers of cheaper [[potassium]] [[salt]]s, such as [[potassium chloride]] (K[[chlorine|Cl]]) or [[potassium oxide]] (K<sub>2</sub>[[oxygen|O]]), to which the same common name is now sometimes also applied. In addition, [[potassium hydroxide]] (K[[hydroxide|OH]]) is commonly called ''caustic potash'', an additional source of confusion.
-A number of chemical compounds containing potassium use the word ''potash'' in their traditional names:
+Various chemical compounds containing potassium have the word ''potash'' in their traditional names, as noted in the table below.
-::{|
-|potash fertilizer                     ||[[potassium oxide]],    ||K<sub>2</sub>O
+{| border=2 cellpadding=6
-|-
+| Traditional Name
-|[[caustic potash]] or [[potash lye]]     ||[[potassium hydroxide]],||KOH
+| Chemical Name
-|-
+| Chemical Formula
-|[[carbonate of potash]], [[salts of tartar]], or [[pearlash]] &nbsp; ||[[potassium carbonate]],||K<sub>2</sub>CO<sub>3</sub>
+|----
-|-
+|potash fertilizer
-|[[chlorate of potash]]               ||[[potassium chlorate]], ||KClO<sub>3</sub>
+|[[potassium oxide]]
-|-
+|K<sub>2</sub>O
-|[[muriate of potash]]                 ||[[potassium chloride]], ||KCl
+|----
-|-
+|[[caustic potash]] or [[potash lye]]
-|[[nitrate of potash]] or [[potassium nitrate|saltpeter]]||potassium nitrate,  ||KNO<sub>3</sub>
+|[[potassium hydroxide]]
-|-
+|KOH
-|[[sulfate of potash]]                 ||[[potassium sulfate]],  ||K<sub>2</sub>SO<sub>4</sub>
+|----
+|[[carbonate of potash]], [[salts of tartar]], or [[pearlash]]
+|[[potassium carbonate]]
+|K<sub>2</sub>CO<sub>3</sub>
+|----
+|[[chlorate of potash]]
+|[[potassium chlorate]]
+|KClO<sub>3</sub>
+|----
+|[[muriate of potash]]
+|[[potassium chloride]]
+|KCl
+|----
+|[[nitrate of potash]] or saltpeter
+|[[potassium nitrate]]
+|KNO<sub>3</sub>
+|----
+|[[sulfate of potash]]
+|[[potassium sulfate]]
+|K<sub>2</sub>SO<sub>4</sub>
+|----
 |}
-==Potash production and trade==
+== Historical production ==
+Prior to the twentieth century, potash was one of the most important chemicals in the industrialized West. Extracted from the ashes of broadleaved trees, it was produced primarily in the forested areas of [[Europe]], [[Russia]], and [[North America]]. The first [[United States patent law|U.S. patent]] was issued in 1790 to [[Samuel Hopkins (inventor)|Samuel Hopkins]] for an improvement in making "Pot ash and Pearl ash by a new Apparatus and Process."
-Up until the twentieth century, potash was one of the most important industrial chemicals in [[Europe]]. It was refined from the ashes of broadleaved trees and produced primarily in the forested areas of Europe, [[Russia]], and [[North America]]. The first [[United States patent law|U.S. patent]] was issued in 1790 to [[Samuel Hopkins (inventor)|Samuel Hopkins]] for an improvement "in the making Pot ash and Pearl ash by a new Apparatus and Process."
+In the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century, potash production provided North American settlers a way to obtain badly needed cash and credit as they cleared their wooded land for crops. To make full use of their land, excess wood, including stumps, needed to be disposed. The easiest way to accomplish this was to burn any wood not needed for fuel or construction. Ashes from [[hardwood]] trees were used to produce lye ([[potassium hydroxide]]), which was in turn used to make soap or boiled down to produce potash.
-Potash production provided late eighteenth- and early nineteenth-century settlers in North America a way to obtain badly needed cash and credit as they cleared their wooded land for crops. To make full use of their land, excess wood, including stumps, needed to be disposed. The easiest way to accomplish this was to burn any wood not needed for fuel or construction. Ashes from [[hardwood]] trees could then be used to make [[Potassium hydroxide|lye]], which could either be used to make soap or boiled down to produce valuable potash. Hardwood could generate ashes at the rate of 60 to 100 [[bushel]]s per acre (500 to 900 m³/km²). In 1790, ashes could be sold for $3.25 to $6.25 per acre ($800 to $1500/km²) in rural [[New York|New York State]] &ndash; nearly the same rate as hiring a laborer to clear the same area.
+Hardwood could generate ashes at the rate of 60 to 100 [[bushel]]s per acre (500 to 900 cubic meters per square kilometer (m³/km²)). In 1790, ashes could be sold for $3.25 to $6.25 per acre ($800 to $1500/km²) in rural [[New York|New York State]]&mdash;nearly the same rate as hiring a laborer to clear the same area.
-To create potash, take an open-bottomed barrel, and place it on a stone base with a groove cut into it, which will direct the resulting liquid into another container. Then place a layer of straw at the bottom, covered by a layer of sticks. This filter layer will prevent the ashes from contaminating the solution. Then fill the barrel with wood-ashes and pour water over it. The water will leach out the potash into the receptacle. This product will be of variable quality. Historically, it was measured by seeing how high an egg would float in the solution. The liquid may be boiled away to give a black, impure potash.
+The refined potash was in increasing demand in [[Europe]] for use in the production of [[glass]] and [[ceramic]] goods. American hardwoods, besides being more abundant, are said to have provided a higher yield of quality potash than European wood. In some parts, potash receipts became a common form of [[currency]]. Some settlers found potash production to be quite lucrative. Unfortunately, this approach to generating fast cash increased the pace of [[deforestation]], adversely affecting the wildlife and ecosystems of those areas.
-If desired, the potash could be further refined by baking in a [[kiln]] to produce a less impure form of potassium carbonate, known as [[pearlash]] for its pearly white color. This step was commonly performed at a nearby [[ashery]]. The refined potash was in increasing demand in [[Europe]] for use in the production of [[glass]] and [[ceramic]] goods.  American hardwoods, besides being more abundant, are said to have provided a higher yield of quality potash than European wood. In some parts, potash receipts became a common form of [[currency]]. Some settlers found potash production to be quite lucrative, resulting in faster [[deforestation]] than farming alone would have caused.
+== Current production ==
-The world's largest potash producer is the [[Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan]]. Many other areas, however, have the resources for potash production. Today, 14 countries produce the world's supply of potash. The main producers are North America (mainly [[Saskatchewan]], with two-thirds of the world's recoverable potash located there), [[Russia]], [[Belarus]], [[Germany]], [[Israel]] and [[Jordan]], (the later two both using solar evaporation pans at the [[Dead Sea]] to produce [[carnallite]] from which [[potassium chloride]] is produced).
+Today, 14 countries produce most of the world's supply of potash, by mining and manufacturing processes. The main supply comes from [[Saskatchewan]], [[Canada]], and additional supplies are generated in [[Russia]], [[Belarus]], [[Germany]], [[Israel]], and [[Jordan]]. Among them, Israel and Jordan use solar evaporation pans at the [[Dead Sea]] to produce [[carnallite]] from which [[potassium chloride]] is produced.
-Northeastern [[Thailand]]'s [[Udon Thani]] province has also been identified as one of the world's richest potash reserves, and is expected to become a major exporter of the mineral.  Italian Thai Development PCL is currently seeking a [[mining]] license that would allow the company to access the  deposit.  The process of gaining licensure has been substantially delayed due to public opposition to the mine.  Many of the villagers who live directly above the proposed mine site have expressed concern that the company and its [[Environmental Impact Assessment]](EIA) have not adequately addressed concerns of salinization of groundwater and soil or land subsidence.  Both would threaten the economic stability of local communities that rely primarily on rice farming for survival.
+Northeastern [[Thailand]]'s [[Udon Thani]] province has also been identified as one of the world's richest potash reserves and could potentially become a major exporter of the mineral. Mining of this area, however, has been delayed by public opposition. Many villagers who live directly above the proposed mine site have expressed concerns about adverse effects such as land subsidence and salinization of groundwater and soil. These effects would threaten the economic stability of local communities that rely primarily on rice farming for survival.
 == See also ==
@@ Line 57: / Line 79: @@
 == References ==
-* Garrett, Donald E. 1995. ''Potash: Deposits, Processing, Properties and Uses''. London: Chapman & Hall. ISBN 0412990717.
+* Garrett, Donald E. 1995. ''Potash: Deposits, Processing, Properties and Uses''. London: Chapman & Hall. ISBN 0412990717
+* Highley, David, et al. 2006. [http://www.mineralsuk.com/britmin/mpfpotash.pdf Potash] ''British Geological Survey''. Retrieved October 9, 2007.
-* Keesler, M. Paul. 2002. [http://www.paulkeeslerbooks.com/Potash.html The Yankee Invasion: They Burned The Woods and Sold the Ashes.] ''Mohawk: Discovering the Valley of the Crystals''. Retrieved May 11, 2007.
+* Keesler, M. Paul. 2002. [http://www.paulkeeslerbooks.com/Potash.html The Yankee Invasion: They Burned The Woods and Sold the Ashes] ''Mohawk: Discovering the Valley of the Crystals''. Retrieved October 9, 2007.
-* Highley, David, et al. 2006. [http://www.mineralsuk.com/britmin/mpfpotash.pdf Potash.] ''British Geological Survey''. Retrieved May 11, 2007.
-==External links==
-* [http://www.townshipsheritage.com/Eng/Hist/Life/potash.html The Potash Trade.] ''Townships Heritage WebMagazine''. Retrieved May 11, 2007.
-* [http://www.erica.demon.co.uk/EH/EH415.html Potash Production in Northern Sweden: History and Ecological Effects of a Pre-industrial Forest Exploitation.] Retrieved May 11, 2007.
-* [http://www.me.utexas.edu/~lotario/paynter/hmp/The_First_Patent.html Henry M. Paynter, ''The First Patent'', Invention & Technology, Fall 1990.] Retrieved May 11, 2007.
-* [http://www.potashcorp.com/media/flash/world_map/ World Agriculture and Fertilizer Markets Map.] Retrieved May 11, 2007.
-* [http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO2&Sect2=HITOFF&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsearch-adv.htm&r=1&p=1&f=G&l=50&d=PALL&S1=1790$.PD.&OS=ISD/$/$/1790&RS=ISD/1790$$ The First U.S. Patent issued was for potash.] Retrieved May 11, 2007.
-* [http://www.miningwatch.ca/index.php?/udon_thani Popular Opposition to proposed potash mining in Udon Thani province, Thailand.] Retrieved May 11, 2007.
-* [http://www.commonlanguageproject.net/?page_id=101 "Digging for Potash, Mining Companies Encounter An Iron Will"] ''The Common Language Project''. Retrieved May 11, 2007.
-* [http://www.arabpotash.com/ The Arab Potash Company in Jordan.] Retrieved May 11, 2007.
 [[Category:Physical sciences]]