Fertilizers potassium salts

The concentration of potassium in sea water amounts to 0.38 g/1. The element is essential to plant growth and a necessary component of a balanced agricultural fertilizer. Potassium salts widely produced from brines are major constituents of the concentrated brines after sodium chloride has been removed through evaporation. Fractional crystallization usually results in recovery of potassium in the form of... 

Modem uses of potassium include the use of the metal in combination with other alkali metals to give a range of alloys of unusual properties. For instance, one alloy of sodium and potassium is used as a heat exchanger in nuclear reactors [2]. Potassium is essential to life and it is used in extremely large quantities in agricultural fertilizers. Potassium salts are also widely used industrially in the electroplating of metals and in photographic materials. 

KCl —NaCl —MgS04) and in many brines. Separated by fractional crystallization, soluble water and lower alcohols. Used in fertilizer production and to produce other potassium salts. 

World consumption of potassium salts presentiy exceeds 28 million t of K O equivalent per year. About 93% of that is for fertilizer use (see POTASSIUM compounds). The potash [17353-70-7] industry is essentially a mining and beneftciation industry. The two main fertilizer materials, KCl and K SO are produced by beneftciating ores at the mine sites. The upgraded salts then are shipped to distributors and manufacturers of mixed goods. 

Resources for Potash Fertilizers. Potassium is the seventh most abundant element in the earth s cmst. The raw materials from which postash fertilizer is derived are principally bedded marine evaporite deposits, but other sources include surface and subsurface brines. Both underground and solution mining are used to recover evaporite deposits, and fractional crystallization (qv) is used for the brines. The potassium salts of marine evaporite deposits occur in beds in intervals of haUte [14762-51-7] NaCl, which also contains bedded anhydrite [7778-18-9], CaSO, and clay or shale. The K O content of such deposits varies widely (see Potassium compounds). 

Potassium chloride [7447-40-7] or muriate of potash (MOP) as it is known in the fertilizer industry (at about 97% purity), is the world s most commonly used potash (5). Chemical-grade potassium chloride (99.9%) is the basis for manufactured production of most potassium salts (10). 

Some compounds of the s-block elements are important industrial chemicals, too. For example, more than 1.4 billion kilograms of K2 CO3 (potassium carbonate, whose common name is potash), is produced in the United States each year. This compound, which is obtained from mineral deposits, is the most common source of potassium for fertilizers. Fertilization with potassium is necessary because this element is essential for healthy plant growth. Moreover, potassium salts are highly soluble in water, so potassium quickly becomes depleted from the soil. Consequently, agricultural land requires frequent addition of potassium fertilizers. 

The industrial term potash can be very misleading. It can refer to potassium carbonate (K2CO3), potassium hydroxide (KOH), potassium chloride (KCl), potassium sulfate (K2SO4), potassium nitrate (KNO3), or collectively to all potassium salts and to the oxide K2O. More correctly KOH is called caustic potash and KCl is called muriate of potash. Production is recorded in weight equivalents of K2O since almost all potash is used as fertilizer and this industry quotes weight percentages of K2O in its trade. 

Potassium chloride is the most important salt of potassium from the perspective of its abundant occurrence and apphcations. This salt, along with potassium sulfate, is used heavily in fertilizers as the primary source of potassium, an essential element for crops. Over 90% salt manufactured is consumed as fertilizer. Also, potassium chloride is a raw material for producing potassium metal and several important potassium salts including potassium nitrate, potassium hydroxide, and potassium sulfate. Other applications are in electrode cells photography buffer solutions and measurement of salinity in water. 

Potassium sulfate is used in fertilizers as a source of potassium and sulfur, both of which are essential elements for plant growth. Either in simple form or as a double salt with magnesium sulfate, potassium sulfate is one of the most widely consumed potassium salts in agricultural apphcations. It is preferred over potassium chloride for certain types of crops such as, tobacco, citrus, and other chloride—sensitive crops. Some other applications include making gypsum cements to make potassium alum in the analysis of Kjeldahl nitrogen and in medicine. 

Potassium carbonate is used in the chemical industry as a source of inorganic potassium salts (potassium silicates, potassium bicarbonate), which are used in fertilizers, soaps, adhesives, dehydrating agents, dyes, and pharmaceuticals. Potassium carbonate used to make potassium lye produces soft soaps, which are liquids or semisolids rather than solids. Other uses of potassium carbonate includes use as a fire suppressant in extinguishers, as a C02 absorbent for chemical processes and pollution control, an antioxidant in rubber additives, and in pharmaceutical formulations. 

Uses Of the Stassfurt salts.—The magnesium compounds in the Stassfurt salts are used for the preparation of magnesium and of its salts. The potash salts are an essential constituent of many fertilizers used in agriculture, etc. 22 and potassium chloride is the starting-point for the manufacture of the many different kinds of potassium salts used in commerce—carbonate, hydroxide, nitrate, chlorate, chromate, alum, ferrocyanide, cyanide, iodide, bromide, etc. Chlorine and bromine are extracted by electrolysis and other processes from the mother liquids obtained in the purification of the potash salts. Boric acid and borax are prepared from boracite. Caesium and rubidium are recovered from the crude carnallite and sylvite. 

Chloride. Potassium chloride, [CAS 7447-40-7]. KC1, colorless or white crystals strong saline taste. Occurs naturally as sylvite. Soluble in water slightly soluble in alcohol. Sp. gr. 1.987 mp 772VC sublimes at 1500ftC noncombustible low toxicity, Used in fertilizers, as a source of potassium salts pharmaceutical preparations photography spectroscopy plant nutrient salt substitute laboratory reagent. See also Fertilizer,... 

Hydroxide. Potassium hydroxide, [CAS 1310-58-3]. caustic potash, potassium hydrate, KOH, white solid, soluble, mp 380 C, formed (1) by reaction of potassium carbonate and calcium hydroxide in H2O, and then separation of the solution and evaporation. (2) by electrolysis of potassium chloride under the proper conditions, and evaporation. Used in the preparation of potassium salts f 1) in solution, and (2) upon fusion. Also used 111 the manufacture of (3) soaps, (4) drugs. (5) dyes, (6) alkaline batteries, (7) adhesives, (8) fertilizers, (9) alkylates, (10) for purifying industrial gases, (11) for scrubbing out traces of hydrofluoric add in processing equipment, (12) as a drain-pipe cleaner, and (13) in asphalt emulsions. 

Sulfates. Potassium sulfate. [CAS 7778-80-5], sulfate of potash, K2.SO4, white solid, soluble. Common constituent of potassium salt minerals. Used (l)as an important potassium fertilizer, (2) in the preparation of potassium or potash alums potassium hydrogen sulfate, KHSO4, white solid, soluble potassium pyrosulfate. K2S2O7, white solid, soluble, formed by heating potassium hydrogen sulfate to complete loss ot H2O. See also Fertilizer. 

Potassium is lequiied by both plants and animals Although the total amount of potassium in most soils is usually rather high, the level of available or soluble forms of the element is frequently too low to meet the needs of growing plants. Deficiencies of plant-available potassium are more frequent in the soils of the eastern rather than of the western United States. See also Soil. Potassium in the form of soluble potassium salts is a very common constituent of fertilizers. See also Fertilizer. 

The primary raw materials for nitrogen fertilizers are natural gas, naphtha, fuel oil, and coal. The manufacturing of phosphate fertilizers most often requires phosphate rock. Naturally occurring potassium salts form the basis of the production of most potash fertilizers. 

Mining of potassium-salt deposits for use of K as a fertilizer brings additional amounts of to the surface of the earth, where it enters the surface waters. 

Numerous catalysts have been used in the production of CLA. We have found that hydroxides of lithium, sodium, and potassium are all capable of generating CLA in various solvents. As fatty acids neutralize the catalyst, it is necessary to add at least one mole of catalyst for every mole of fatty acid in the reaction to ensure soap is generated. We have found that, on a molar basis, potassium hydroxide has proven to be a more effective catalyst than sodium hydroxide, with lithium hydroxide the least effective and not suited for industrial CLA production. On a weight basis, sodium and potassium hydroxide have similar efficiency of conversion. Although sodium hydroxide is much less expensive than potassium hydroxide, the disposal costs for the waste neutralized alkali should also be considered. Potassium salts are easily used as fertilizer and can be applied to fields, whereas sodium salts cannot be disposed of in a similar fashion. 

The manufacture of ammonium phosphates can be combined with the production of mixed fertilizers e.g. ammonium phosphate with ammonium sulfate (partial substitution of sulfuric acid with phosphoric acid) or ammonium nitrate. The ammonium phosphates can also be converted into mixed fertilizers during granulation by adding potassium salts, urea etc. 

Potassium salt deposits are the major raw materiEil source for K fertilizers. These undergound deposits were formed by the evaporation of sea water hence, NaCl is always present as a major contaminant. ME esium salts are also present and these are combined with sulfates md/or chlorides. Potassium chloride (sylvite) is the predominant K form in most deposits, but K also occurs as langbeinite (New Mexico) and as kainite (Sicily) to a limited extent. Some of the langbeinite and virtually all of the kainite is converted to K2SO4 (Barber et al., 1971). However, sylvinite ores are the principal reserves that are economically exploitable and these are judged to be our principal source of K for the next several decades (Adams, 1968). 

Use Fertilizer, source of potassium salts, pharmaceutical preparations, photography, spectroscopy, plant nutrient, salt substitute, lab reagent, buffer solutions, food additive. 

Arcanum duplicatum Caswell No. 702 Dipotassium sulfate EINECS 233-558-0 EPA Pesticide Chemical Code 005603 Glazier s salt HSDB 6047 Kalium sulphuricum Potassium sulfate Potassium sulphate Sal Polychrestum Sulfuric acid, dipotassium salt Sulphuric acid, potassium salt Tartarus vitriolatus. Analytical reagent, medicine (cathartic), gypsum cements, fertilizer, manufacture of alum and glass, food additive. Registered by EPA as a herbioide and insecticide. Colorless, hard crystals, mp = 1067° d = 2.66 soluble in H2O (12 g/100 ml at 25°, 25 g/100 ml at 100°),... 

Justus von Liebig (1842) spread the knowledge that potassium is one of the important plant nutrition elements. In 1861, Adolph frank started the first plant using the process he had developed for producing from carnallite - a potassium salt that could be employed as a fertilizer. When Alsace was returned to franco at the end of World War I, the potash works become French property, so that Germany lost her monopoly in potash. Potash production in Spain began in 1926 in Catalonia. In Sicily (Italy) kainite deposits were used for potassium sulfate production. In Russia, potassium production began 1931 in the northern Urals. In 1939, the Soviet Union took over potassium... 

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