Potassium chloride growth

In 1840, potassium was recognized as an essential element for plant growth (6). This discovery and the invention in 1861 of a process to recover potassium chloride from mbbish salt, a waste in German salt mines, started the modem potassium chemical industry (5). Potassium compounds produced throughout the world in 1993 amounted to ca 22 million metric tons as K O equivalent (4), down from ca 24 million t in 1992, having fallen annually from 32 million t in 1989 (2). Estimated production capacity was between 29 and 32 million t in 1992 (2). 

Aoki, Y. and Nakamuto, Y., 1984. Penetration twins of potassium chloride. Journal of Crystal Growth, 67, 579-586. 

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. 

Cationic surfactants have applications such as inhibiting the growth of bacteria, inhibiting corrosion, separating phosphate ore from silica and potassium chloride from sodium chloride (flotation agents), and they serve well as fabric softeners, antistatic agents, and hair conditioners. 

M Potassium Chloride Solution Dissolve 22.35 g of potassium chloride in water, add 5 mL of Potassium Acetate Buffer, dilute to 1000 mL with water, and mix. Add a few milligrams of mercuric iodide to inhibit mold growth. 

The growth of potassium chloride from an aqueous solution of sodium and potassium chlorides was studied by Davion (D3). Using uniform-size seeds, growing at a constant level of supersaturation, the crystallization growth constant K, was determined by the expression below. 

Dr. H. T. Beans of Columbia University has advised the author of the use of A-fraction as an indicator in iodometry. The indicator solution (prepared by dissolving 0.5% of recrystallized A-fraction in 15% potassium chloride solution) is stable over long periods of time and is immune to mold growth. It is highly sensitive toward iodine and affords sharp end points, without the reddish colorations characteristic of most soluble starches. 

Figure 7-4a shows a deposit of sodium chloride, or table salt—the most common sodium compound. Table salt occurs naturally in many foods. It is used to keep food from spoiling and to preserve foods for long-term storage, as shown in Figure 7-4b. These roles were especially important before the widespread use of refrigeration. Potassium chloride serves as a salt substitute for people whose intake of sodium must be limited. Potassium compounds are included in fertilizers because potassium is an important factor for plant growth and development. Potassium nitrate is used as an explosive for large-scale fireworks displays.

World production volume doubled in the 10 years from 1961 to 1971 from 9.82 to 19.1 million tonnes of K2O equivalent, and rose to 25.8 million tonnes in 1976. Since then, however, production growth appears to have levelled, with 27.5 million tonnes produced in 1990. At the 1976 levels of production, the present Canadian reserves of 107 x 10 tonnes of potassium chloride (67 x 10 tonnes, K2O equivalent), primarily in sylvinite and carnallite minerals, would be sufficient to supply the world demand for some 2600 years. West German and Russian reserves appear to be of a similar order of magnitude [24]. The process technologies available for potassium chloride recovery, including illustrations of equipment used, have recently been reviewed [25]. 

The largest application of potassium chloride is in the production of fertilizers. More than ninety percent of the potassium chloride produced in the United States is used for that purpose. The compound provides the potassium plants need to stay healthy and grow normally. It is one of three macronutrients—substances needed in relatively large amounts—for normal growth. The other two macronutrients are phosphorus and nitrogen. Smaller amounts of potassium chloride are used in the production of other potassium compounds, in photography, and in chemical research applications. 

Desupersaturation methods for crystal growth rate measurements have been reported for ammonium alum (Bujac and Mullin, 1969), potassium sulphate (Jones and Mullin, 1973a), nickel ammonium sulphate (Ang and Mullin, 1979), potassium chloride (Nyvlt, 1989) and succinic acid (Qui and Rasmuson, 1990). 

The change of potassium chloride aqueous solution concentration has a similar influence on the granulometric composition of the antiagglomerator (Figure 4.20). However, in this case, the dependencies are smoother, without any prominent bends, and the particle diameter decreases with the growth of the initial reactant concentration. This is obviously related to the increased viscosity of potassium stearate, which also explains the extremely low value of the reactant concentration of no more than 15 wt%. At a fixed ratio of the initial reactant concentration, an increase of the solid-phase content of the obtained calcium stearate suspension, results in the growth of the particle size. In all cases, particles of minimal experimental diameter can be obtained in the reaction within a tubular turbulent reactor of diffuser-confusor design. 

Mohameed, H.A., Ulrich, J. Influence of the pH value on the growth rate of potassium chloride, in BIWIC 94 (ed. J. UlHch), p.ll2. Verlag Mainz, Aachen 1994... 

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