Potash
Potash is a term that refers to a group of potassium compounds and potassium-bearing materials, the most common being potassium chloride (KCl). The term potash comes from the Middle Dutch word potaschen (pot ashes, 1477). All potassium is a chemical element that is essential for life and is found in abundance in nature.
History[edit | edit source]
The term "potash" comes from the practice of extracting potassium from wood ash in pots, a practice that dates back to ancient times. The chemical symbol for potassium, K, comes from the Latin word kalium, which was taken from the Arabic word al-qalyah, meaning "plant ashes". In 1807, Sir Humphry Davy discovered that potassium was a distinct chemical element.
Production[edit | edit source]
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 by electrolysis of caustic potash, in 1807.
Uses[edit | edit source]
Potash has been used since antiquity in the manufacture of glass and soap and as a fertilizer. The ancient method of producing it was to evaporate the water from seawater and other mineral-rich brine.
See also[edit | edit source]
References[edit | edit source]
External links[edit | edit source]
- PotashCorp - A major producer of potash
- K+S KALI GmbH - Another major producer of potash
Potash Resources | |
---|---|
|
Search WikiMD
Ad.Tired of being Overweight? Try W8MD's physician weight loss program.
Semaglutide (Ozempic / Wegovy and Tirzepatide (Mounjaro / Zepbound) available.
Advertise on WikiMD
WikiMD's Wellness Encyclopedia |
Let Food Be Thy Medicine Medicine Thy Food - Hippocrates |
Translate this page: - East Asian
中文,
日本,
한국어,
South Asian
हिन्दी,
தமிழ்,
తెలుగు,
Urdu,
ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian
Indonesian,
Vietnamese,
Thai,
မြန်မာဘာသာ,
বাংলা
European
español,
Deutsch,
français,
Greek,
português do Brasil,
polski,
română,
русский,
Nederlands,
norsk,
svenska,
suomi,
Italian
Middle Eastern & African
عربى,
Turkish,
Persian,
Hebrew,
Afrikaans,
isiZulu,
Kiswahili,
Other
Bulgarian,
Hungarian,
Czech,
Swedish,
മലയാളം,
मराठी,
ਪੰਜਾਬੀ,
ગુજરાતી,
Portuguese,
Ukrainian
WikiMD is not a substitute for professional medical advice. See full disclaimer.
Credits:Most images are courtesy of Wikimedia commons, and templates Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY SA or similar.
Contributors: Prab R. Tumpati, MD