Potash

There are actually many different forms of Potash, which means "potassium compounds" but the most common is potassium chloride with the chemical formula of KCl and a molar mass of 74.5512 times ten to the negative one grams per mole.

Most potash compounds have a crystal-like solid appearance with a some what reddish-orange color similar to that of copper.

Historically potash has been in use for over centuries in making things like class and soap, but now a-days is more commonly found in grass and plant fertilizers. The main benefit of adding potash to soil is that it acts as a water retention agent, allowing for really dry soils to support more plant life.

The term "potash" came from the Old Dutch work potaschen. The old method to make potassium carbonate was by leaching of wood ashes and then evaporating the solution in large iron pots, leaving a white reside that is known as "pot ash." About 10% by wight of common wood ask can be recover as pot ash at the end of the process. Later, "potash" became the term applied to the naturally occurring potassium salt.

Potash has a long history dating back to A.D. 500. It was usually obtained by leaching ashes from land and sea plants. The first U.S. patent was issued in 1790 to Samuel Hopkins for improvement in making "pot ash" through a new process.

Potash (especially potassium carbonate) has been used from the dawn of history in bleaching textiles, making glass, and, from about A.D. 500, in making soap. Potash was principally obtained by leaching the ashes of land and sea plants. Beginning in the 14th century potash was mined in Ethiopia. One of the world's largest deposits, 140 to 150 million tons, is located in the Tigray's Dallol area. Potash was one of the most important industrial chemicals in Canada. It was refined from the ashes of broadleaved trees and 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 the making Pot ash and Pearl ash by a new Apparatus and Process."[|.]"Pearl ash" was a purer quality made by the ignition of cream of tartar.

= Other uses = In addition to its use as a fertilizer, potassium chloride is important in industrialized economies, where it is used in aluminium recycling, by the chloralkali industry to produce potassium hydroxide, in metal electroplating, oil-well drilling fluid, snow and ice melting, steel heat-treating, and water softening. Potassium hydroxide is used for industrial water treatment and is the precursor of potassium carbonate, several forms of potassium phosphate, many other potassic chemicals, and soap manufacturing. Potassium carbonate is used to produce animal feed supplements, cement, fire extinguishers, food products, photographic chemicals, and textiles. It is also used in brewing beer, pharmaceutical preparations, and as a catalyst for synthetic rubber manufacturing. These nonfertilizer uses have accounted for about 15% of annual potash consumption in the United States.[1home] Potash (potassium carbonate) along with hartshorn was also used as a baking aid similar to baking soda in old German baked goods such as lebkuchen (ginger bread).[