Difference between revisions of "Potash" - New World Encyclopedia
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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 May 11, 2007.</ref> | ||
| − | 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, it is mainly used as a [[fertilizer]]. |
| − | + | * [Unfortunately, this approach to generating fast cash increased the pace of [[deforestation]], adversely affecting the wildlife and ecosystems of those areas.] | |
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== Etymology == | == Etymology == | ||
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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. | 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. | ||
| − | + | Various chemical compounds containing potassium have the word ''potash'' in their traditional names, as noted in the table below. | |
| − | + | ||
| − | |potash fertilizer | + | {| border=2 cellpadding=6 |
| − | |- | + | | Traditional Name |
| − | |[[caustic potash]] or [[potash lye]] | + | | Chemical Name |
| − | |- | + | | Chemical Formula |
| − | |[[carbonate of potash]], [[salts of tartar]], or [[pearlash]] | + | |---- |
| − | |- | + | |potash fertilizer |
| − | |[[chlorate of potash]] | + | |[[potassium oxide]] |
| − | |- | + | |K<sub>2</sub>O |
| − | |[[muriate of potash]] | + | |---- |
| − | |- | + | |[[caustic potash]] or [[potash lye]] |
| − | |[[nitrate of potash]] or [[potassium nitrate | + | |[[potassium hydroxide]] |
| − | |- | + | |KOH |
| − | |[[sulfate of potash]] | + | |---- |
| + | |[[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> | ||
| + | |---- | ||
|} | |} | ||
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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." | 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." | ||
| − | + | 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. | |
| − | 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, | + | 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]]—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. | ||
=== Production process === | === Production process === | ||
| + | |||
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. | 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. | ||
Revision as of 14:20, 22 May 2007
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, it is mainly used as a fertilizer.
- [Unfortunately, this approach to generating fast cash increased the pace of deforestation, adversely affecting the wildlife and ecosystems of those areas.]
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.
Production process
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.
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.
Current production
Today, 14 countries produce most of the world's supply of potash. 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.
See also
Notes
ReferencesISBN links support NWE through referral fees
- Garrett, Donald E. 1995. Potash: Deposits, Processing, Properties and Uses. London: Chapman & Hall. ISBN 0412990717.
- Keesler, M. Paul. 2002. The Yankee Invasion: They Burned The Woods and Sold the Ashes. Mohawk: Discovering the Valley of the Crystals. Retrieved May 11, 2007.
- Highley, David, et al. 2006. Potash. British Geological Survey. Retrieved May 11, 2007.
External links
- The Potash Trade. Townships Heritage WebMagazine. Retrieved May 11, 2007.
- Potash Production in Northern Sweden: History and Ecological Effects of a Pre-industrial Forest Exploitation. Retrieved May 11, 2007.
- The First Patent. Invention & Technology, Fall 1990. Retrieved May 11, 2007.
- World Agriculture and Fertilizer Markets Map. Retrieved May 11, 2007.
- U.S. Patent. United States Patent and Trademark Office. (The first U.S. patent issued was for potash production.) Retrieved May 11, 2007.
- "Digging for Potash, Mining Companies Encounter An Iron Will" The Common Language Project. Retrieved May 11, 2007.
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