Potash Production Research Articles

Analysis of Reasons for Corrosion of a Screw Dissolver in Potash Fertilizer Production

Reasons are analyzed for breakdown of a screw dissolver in a modernized scheme for potash production. It is revealed that modernization of the mixing scheme for working flows leads to accelerated corrosion and erosion breakdown of equipment units and assemblies.

Дослідження процесу перероблення відходів калійних виробництв Прикарпаття в товарні продукти

Дослідження процесу перероблення відходів калійних виробництв Прикарпаття в товарні продукти

“God Made the Soil, but We Made It Fertile”: Gender, Knowledge, and Practice in the Formation and Use of African Dark Earths in Liberia and Sierra Leone

This paper describes West African farming practices and knowledge that lead to the formation of carbon-rich high-fertility African Dark Earths (AfDE) – human-made soils analogous to Amazonian terra preta, yet subject to continuing production and use. Gender relations and women’s roles are central to how these soils are produced and used. Through social and ecological field studies in Liberia and Sierra Leone we detail how AfDE formation and associated knowledge is gender-differentiated, the central roles of women’s deposition of charred organic materials from cooking, oil palm processing and potash production in producing AfDE, and the gendered dynamics of AfDE use and distribution in the landscape. Different species are cultivated in AfDE compared to non-anthropogenic soils, and AfDE are differentially valued by women and men for horticultural and tree crops. The spatial distribution of AfDE across the landscape reflects shifting household, marriage and settlement practices. Gender relations, subjectivities and interdependencies and the ecology of soils and landscapes mutually shape one another. National policymakers and NGOs planning or managing agricultural carbon projects in West Africa should attend to the knowledge and practices of Loma and Mende women and men who have made and cultivated carbon-rich anthropogenic soils in the region for generations.

Mineralization of CO2 Using Natural K-Feldspar and Industrial Solid Waste to Produce Soluble Potassium

This article describes a novel CO2 mineralization approach using natural insoluble K-feldspar and phosphogypsum for the emission of CO2, reduction of phosphogypsum waste, and production of soluble potash. K-feldspar was activated with CaSO4 at high temperature and then mineralized with CO2 to extract potassium under hydrothermal conditions. Activation and mineralization conditions (e.g., ore/CaSO4 mass ratio, calcination and mineralization temperatures, initial pressure of CO2) were systematically investigated with an optical potassium extraction ratio of ∼87% and a CO2 mineralization ratio of ∼7.7%. A reaction mechanism was proposed based on the experimental results and the characterizations, such as polarized light microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and thermogravimetric and differential thermal analyses. This new methodology is a promising process and has the potential to reduce emissions of CO2 and phosphogypsum from a practical point of view.

Генетические и иммунологические маркеры чувствительности и эффекта у работников калийного производства в условиях комбинированного воздействия факторов риска

Генетические и иммунологические маркеры чувствительности и эффекта у работников калийного производства в условиях комбинированного воздействия факторов риска

Genetic and immunological markers of sensitivity and effect in potash production workers in the terms of combined risk factors’ impact

Genetic and immunological markers of sensitivity and effect in potash production workers in the terms of combined risk factors’ impact

Production of pure potassium salts directly from sea bittern employing tartaric acid as a benign and recyclable K+ precipitant

Climatic uncertainties and shortage of land expose conventional potash production from sea bittern to greater risks which the proposed route helps mitigate.

FERTILIZERS PotashCorp to lay off more than 1,000 workers amid global price declines

Potash Corp. of Saskatchewan, a leading producer of potassium, phosphate, and nitrogen fertilizers, says it will reduce its workforce by 18%, or approximately 1,045 employees. The firm is taking the action because of lower-than-anticipated fertilizer demand from the developing world. The market’s softness is a change from 2012, when high prices for agricultural commodities boosted prices and earnings at fertilizer companies. More than half of PotashCorp’s employee cuts will come from operations in Saskatchewan and New Brunswick, where the company plans to reduce production of potash, a mined salt that is largely potassium chloride. Other layoffs will affect workers at phosphate and nitrogen fertilizer plants in Florida, North Carolina, and Trinidad. Prices for potash have dropped by almost 23% compared with a year ago, according to a recent report from NPK Fertilizer Advisory Service. Analysts say the breakup in July of Belarus Potash Co., a cartel of producers in Belarus ...

Determination of metal content and an assessment of the potential use of waste cashew nut ash (CNSA) as a source for potash production

The potential use of waste cashew nut shell (CNS) ash as a source for potash production was investigated in this study. Managing waste ash generated from cashew nut processing is a major challenge, as land filling and open dumping of the waste ashes have been the main options in management of the ash in Nigeria. Economically viable ways of using waste ash rather than having to dispose of it have to be investigated. The CNS was air-dried for 4 weeks and combusted to ashes; the resulting ash was extracted with water for its potash content. Some parameters of the CNS, including moisture, dry matter, and ash content, were determined. Potash yield obtained was 33.4% of 150 g CNS ash used; analysis of the potash gave it a percentage purity of 78%, while purity on recrystalization increased to 86%. Potash yield from CNS ash was comparable to those reported for wood ash, plantain peels, and other agro-wastes. Also, the results showed that the CNS shared similar lignocellulosic properties and characteristics with hardwood biomass.

Assessment of Combustion and Potash Production as Options for Management of Wood Waste

This study assessed combustion and potash production as options for management of wood waste. The percentage reduction in volume by combustion and potash generation potential of wood waste from ninedifferent common species of wood obtained from a wood factory in Ibadan were evaluated. Potash from the ashes was extracted with distilled water through a system of filtration. The amount of ash, in kilogram per cubic metre of saw dust, and the amount of potash, in kilogram per cubic metre of ash and kilogram per cubic metre of saw dust were determined. The volume of sawdust was reduced by 95% after combustion. The ash generated ranged between 1.42 – 15.18 Kg/m3; potash yield ranged between 4.74 – 53.76 Kg/m3 of ashes and 0.21 – 1.53 Kg/m3 of saw dust.

POTASH, SALTPETER AND TAR

Quantitative calculations on the use of natural resources provide valuable tools, which can give new insights to old questions and rise new ones. In this article, I compare the wood consumption in the production of potash, saltpeter and pine wood tar in 19th century Finland. My calculations shows that in the 19th century the cumulative wood consumption in the production of potash might have been higher or at least on the same level as in the production of tar, while the production of saltpeter consumed only a fraction. In the 1830s their combined wood consumption reached the level of slash‐and‐burn cultivation.

Flotation of sylvite with dodecylamine and the effect of added long chain alcohols

In the potash production industry, sylvite is selectively floated from halite with the use of cationic collectors. Due to the high solubility of the KCl and NaCl minerals, the process has to be conducted in saturated brines of these salts and at very high collector concentration. The understanding of the mechanisms involved in this peculiar selective flotation process has progressed well in the recent years and is briefly discussed herein. Studies of the effect of the addition of long chain alcohols on the dodecylamine adsorption and flotation of KCl were undertaken and the results are presented. Potassium chloride flotation with dodecylamine was enhanced by the addition of hexyl and octyl alcohol with the best results in the concentration range of from 6 to 8 × 10 −3 M. Decyl alcohol had a less effective influence on KCl floatability. The surface tension of dodecylamine solution as a function of KCl concentration and the lowering of the amine critical micelle concentration in KCl saturated solution were also studied and the role of the long chain alcohol addition on the flotation recovery of potassium chloride with dodecylamine is discussed.

Long-term history of land-use and vegetation at Ire, an agriculturally marginal area in Blekinge, south Sweden

Pollen records from a small lake and a small peatland at Ire in northern Blekinge, Sweden, reveal that until A.D. 300 there was a mixed deciduous type of woodland dominated by Quercus, Tilia and Corylus, with Betula, Pinus, Populus, Fraxinus, Ulmus and Acer as important constituents. The first, but weak, signs of human influence on the vegetation are detected around 2300 B.C. At this time, the area was probably used for woodland grazing. The regional expansion of Fagus occurred around 100 B.C.-A.D. 200, and later, at about A.D. 500, woods dominated by Fagus were common in the area. Around A.D. 600-700 an isolated farmstead may have been established in the area, as single pollen grains of Secale (rye) were found. This farmstead may represent the first permanent settlement in the area. A more widespread opening of the vegetation occurred around A.D. 1000, probably as an effect of a more pronounced use of the area, and an expansion of settlements in the region. The openness of the area seems to have peaked around A.D. 1400-1800, and during this period the vegetation was highly fragmented with small stands of woodland, intensively grazed pastures, and arable fields where Secale and Triticum were mainly cultivated. Around A.D. 1600 Fagus pollen percentages sharply decrease, most probably caused by a deliberate and selective felling of beech trees for the production of potash, which consumed enormous amounts of wood. Picea seems to have been established around A.D. 1600, but it did not become a regional dominant until the first part of the 20th century, when land use decreased and it became favoured by forestry. (Less)

Operational issues in solids processing plants: Systems view

AbstractA systematic approach to deal with the operational issues in solids processing plants is presented. Potential problems in various equipment units are identified and classified according to continuum‐scale phenomena: breakage, adhesion and cohesion, compaction, bulk solids flow problems, fluid‐driven solids flow problems, and segregation. Analysis is performed in the continuum and particle scales so as to identify the causal and opposing effects of each problem. With appropriate mathematical models and empirical correlations, these effects can be related to equipment design, operating conditions, particle attributes, and material properties. The ratio of these competing effects shows whether a potential problem is a real concern and points the direction for taking preventive measures. The action plan may include changing operating conditions or equipment design of a particular unit, or making modifications to upstream equipment units. The method is illustrated with an industrial example: the production of potash.

Synthesis of bulk solids processing systems

AbstractA systematic procedure for the synthesis of bulk solids processing systems guides the user in an evolutionary manner to generate flowsheet alternatives to transform a solids feed with given attributes into products with desired attributes. The first step is to select a functional structure based on the primary objective of the processing system. This is followed by the selection of equipment for the functional structure. In the third step, the functional structure is expanded by adding other necessary unit operations to form a flowsheet. This is accompanied by the assignment of a suitable equipment unit to each unit operation. Storage and transportation units are then added to the flowsheet in the fourth step. Rules and heuristics to help make decisions at each step are presented, as well as simulations used to evaluate flowsheet alternatives. Design variables are identified and short‐cut models based on discretized population balance equations are used to quantify equipment performance. The procedure is illustrated with commercial examples including the production of potash, pesticide granules, aspirin and an azo dye.

Potash Production in Northern Sweden: History and Ecological Effects of a Pre-industrial Forest Exploitation

Abstract Potash (potassium carbonate; K2CO3) was one of the most important industrial chemicals in Europe prior to the 20th century. It was obtained from wood-ash from broadleaved trees, which was refined in several steps into the pure chemical. The production primarily took place in the periphery of Europe, in Russia and in the United states. In Sweden, potash was produced in the southern parts on a larger scale from the 17th century. In northern Sweden the production started in the early 19th century, reached considerable proportions within a few decades, and then ceased completely in the 1860s. The trees used were primarily birches ( Betula pubescens and B. pendula ). Previous research on the subject of Swedish potash production has concluded that the production ceased due to shortage of raw material. Through studies of historical records and experimental potash production we challenge these conclusions. In our opinion potash production in northern Sweden lost out to German producers who started to produce potash industrially at the same time that production in northern Sweden ceased. The ecological significance of the potash production is difficult to estimate, primarily because the impact caused by this form of forest exploitation is obscured by subsequent logging and other human activities. Nevertheless, the removal of large old broadleaved trees was one important step in the large-scale transformation of the forest landscape which has influenced the structure and function of north Swedish forest ecosystems.

Crystallization phenomena and the floatability of sylvine and hard salt

For various reasons, difficulties arise in the flotation of sylvinite and kieseritic hard salt, resulting in considerable quality losses in potash production. High carnallite amounts in the crude salt and as a consequence different MgCl 2 concentrations in the brine are the most important reasons for the difficulties. The aim of this study was to characterize the nature of the surface of sylvine in brines of different MgCl 2 concentrations, i.e. to prove the existence of time-dependent partial solution effects on the salt surface and/or of crystallization phenomena leading to the formation of new mineral phases as centres of selective adsorption of surface-active substances, and to examine the influence of these alterations on floatability. By means of a comparison between laboratory flotation results, adsorption measurements, radiotracer measurements, and measurements of adhesion forces as well as scanning electron microscopy investigations, it was shown that the problems in the kieseritic hard salt (Rossleben, Germany) are mainly caused by the so-called red variety of sylvine. The conclusions of these investigations are, firstly, that improvement of flotation characteristics is possible by conditioning the flotation feed in the brine for a period of time, depending on the MgCl 2 concentration, before the addition of reagents to the brine and before the floatation. Secondly, the flotation-improving effect of the clay depressant Amysed-W is caused by the interaction of this reagent with the red sylvine and with the collector Rofamin by forming an inclusion compound of Amysed-W with the amine.

Design of solids processes: production of potash

ADVERTISEMENT RETURN TO ISSUEPREVArticleNEXTDesign of solids processes: production of potashShankar Rajagopal, Ka M. Ng, and James M. DouglasCite this: Ind. Eng. Chem. Res. 1988, 27, 11, 2071–2078Publication Date (Print):November 1, 1988Publication History Published online1 May 2002Published inissue 1 November 1988https://doi.org/10.1021/ie00083a019RIGHTS & PERMISSIONSArticle Views267Altmetric-Citations23LEARN ABOUT THESE METRICSArticle Views are the COUNTER-compliant sum of full text article downloads since November 2008 (both PDF and HTML) across all institutions and individuals. These metrics are regularly updated to reflect usage leading up to the last few days.Citations are the number of other articles citing this article, calculated by Crossref and updated daily. Find more information about Crossref citation counts.The Altmetric Attention Score is a quantitative measure of the attention that a research article has received online. Clicking on the donut icon will load a page at altmetric.com with additional details about the score and the social media presence for the given article. Find more information on the Altmetric Attention Score and how the score is calculated. Share Add toView InAdd Full Text with ReferenceAdd Description ExportRISCitationCitation and abstractCitation and referencesMore Options Share onFacebookTwitterWechatLinked InReddit PDF (977 KB) Get e-Alerts Get e-Alerts

Utilization of cocoa by-products as an alternative source of energy

The complete utilization of the by-products from the cocoa industry of Ghana has been investigated. Large-scale collection of cocoa sweating (i.e. the liquid which drains from the fresh bean when exposed to air) using the basket and sweat-box methods has been devised. It was found that collection and alcohol fermentation of the sweating can be done by farmers themselves. The fermented sweating had an alcohol level of 7–10% (w/w). The dried cocoa husks have also been used successfully for either production of potash or as a source of fuel.

Extreme carbon-isotope enrichments in evaporating brines

We report here extreme 13C enrichments in the dissolved inorganic carbon pool (ΣCO2) in evaporating brines. These enrichments may influence the interpretation of the stable carbon isotope record of both inorganic and organic carbon deposited in saline environments. Carbon isotope values of ΣCO2 respond to types of carbonate inputs, rate of exchange with the atmospheric CO2 and to biological effects1,2. δ13C values of up to +14‰, (all values are reported here with respect to the PDB standard) for ΣCO2 from anoxic waters have been reported where methane production by CO2 reducing bacteria occurs3. We document an abiotic effect in evaporating brines which resulted in 13C enrichments of up to +16.5‰) in natural conditions (solar evaporation ponds used for potash production) and up to +34.9‰ in laboratory evaporation experiments, the most enriched δ13C values reported to date in oxic conditions. These extreme enrichments may result from a non-equilibrium gas-transfer isotope fractionation.