Potassium salts. Potassium salt - fertilizers donated by nature
For development and growth, the plant needs systematic “doses” nutrients. One of these is potassium. Its deficiency in the soil can be compensated for by special fertilizers containing the K2O element.
Let's figure out how to identify a lack of potassium, what types of fertilizers containing it exist, which ones are better to choose, and also consider other important issues.
Ways to detect potassium deficiency
Most often, crops growing in light soils suffer from potassium deficiency. Usually, obvious signs elemental deficiencies appear in the summer, during active plant growth:
- Brown spots appear;
- The leaves turn yellow, turn brown, and a bronze or blue tint may appear on them;
- The tips of the leaves die;
- Leaf veins become barely noticeable;
- The stem becomes very thin and fragile;
- Plant growth slows down;
- The leaves become wrinkled;
- The buds do not bloom, or bloom with a delay.
How dangerous is potassium deficiency?
Every plant needs potassium more than any other substance. In order to fully develop, for example, potatoes, approximately 250 kg must be applied per hectare of land. potassium
If the substance is not enough, then:
- Synthesis simple carbohydrates the complex ones will stop;
- Cells will stop producing protein;
- The plant's reproductive organs will be underdeveloped;
- The stem system will weaken.
If potassium is normal, then:
- Cellular oxidation proceeds as expected;
- The crop will not suffer due to drought;
- Photosynthesis will become faster;
- Enzyme activity will increase;
- The culture becomes more stress-resistant low temperatures;
- Stands out sufficient quantity organic acids;
- Resistance to pathogens increases.
Which crops require potassium?
Potassium supplementation must be done on the soil where vegetable, flower and fruit crops grow. The most demanding vegetable crops for potassium are: tomatoes, cabbage, potatoes, pumpkin, cucumbers, peppers, beans, carrots, eggplants.
The dose of potassium-based fertilizers for such crops should be at least 15 g/m. sq.
Potassium fertilizer for potatoes
Potash and chlorine-containing fertilizers for potatoes must be applied to the soil in the fall before fall plowing, since potatoes are a chlorophobic crop. Top dressing should be of a cohesive granulometric composition.
Using potassium fertilizer in the garden
If the soil is medium or heavy, then potassium fertilizers must be applied to it in the fall. 
containing chlorine. The latter will have time to be washed out by precipitation and will not negatively affect the plant. Potassium, at this time, will remain in the ground, and there will even be enough for next year.
If the soil is peaty and light, potassium should be added in the spring. If you add it in the fall, then most likely it will not linger in the soil. Moreover, on this type of soil it is better not to use fertilizers with chlorine.
How can you replace potash fertilizers?
Many gardeners do not want to use ready-made fertilizers and use natural fertilizers. But not every summer resident can (or wants) to purchase manure, and therefore, chemical-based additives cannot be avoided. But, you can reduce their number to a minimum by using compost. How to cook it?
Almost everything will do organic matter: plant remains, tree leaves, grass, slops, etc. Just don’t use the tops of diseased plants, as they can be a source of viruses.
Substances containing nitrogen, superphosphate, lime and minerals should also be added to the compost. To these should be added soil from the garden or pre-ventilated peat soil.
Types of potash fertilizers
Today there are a lot of different fertilizers that contain potassium. Depending on the manufacturer, they may contain any additional substances, but in most cases all these fertilizers are similar in composition.
Potassium sulfate
Ideal for plants that are negatively affected by chlorine. This fertilizer contains almost 50% pure potassium sulfate.
Wood ash
Also a chlorine-free fertilizer extracted from foliage plants. It contains phosphorus, so the fertilizer can be called complex. Potassium content is about 15%.
Calimagnesia
Contains 9% magnesium and about 30% potassium. Fertilizer is obtained by processing chenite. Especially relevant for light soils.
Potassium nitrate
Contains almost 50% potassium and 13% nitrogen. It dissolves in water and is used in growing vegetables.
Potassium carbonate
The composition includes about 65% potassium oxide, the rest is carbon dioxide. Mineral fertilizer for any type of soil.
Potassium salt
Formed by mixing sylvinite and potassium chloride. Not recommended for fertilizing plants that do not tolerate chlorine well. When mixed with kainite, it produces 30% potassium salt.
The advantage of such feeding is great content magnesium Its use is especially important on peaty, sandy loam and sandy soils.
Properties and instructions for use
Potassium is the basis of nutrition for any plant. Its properties are very diverse:
- Normalizes metabolic processes;
- Increases resistance to drought;
- Enhances photosynthesis and carbohydrate metabolism;
- Positively affects oxidative processes;
- Increases resistance to low temperatures;
- Increases general immunity;
- Promotes greater starchiness in vegetables;
- Makes the plant persistent and more “durable”;
- Improves cell metabolism;
- Improves flowering;
- Increases fertility;
- Increases safety.
How to use
Potassium salt is added to the soil in the fall. If the soil is moist, the additive can be applied in the spring. The land is cultivated at the rate of 150 g of fertilizing per 10 square meters. If the plant is already mature, then the dose is doubled.
Why is potassium salt dangerous?
An excess of potassium does not pose any danger to plants. But, this factor can disrupt the nutritional balance of the crop. It is worth adding large doses of the additive only if the soil lacks phosphorus and nitrogen.
Potassium chloride
Fertilizer containing almost 64% potassium oxide. Almost 90% of summer residents use it as the main additive.
Which potassium fertilizers are best to use?
All fertilizers containing potassium include additives that are perfectly soluble in water. Therefore, you can use almost all additives that are on the market. But, it is important to consider the type of soil and crop that needs to be fertilized.
It is best to fertilize the soil with potassium substances in the fall or spring, while digging up the soil. This way, all the substances will mix well and be better absorbed by the plant.
How to make potash fertilizer with your own hands
The simplest potash fertilizer is ash. It is used to feed plants, as well as to prevent the negative activities of various pests and viruses. It is best to treat crops with this fertilizer in the morning.
How to cook:
- pour boiling water over 400 g of ash;
- boil for 30 minutes;
- let sit, strain;
- dilute 11 l. water;
- add 60 g of soap;
Potassium salt has long been used as a fertilizer; this product is a mixture of potassium chloride, sylvinite and kainite. It is known that in the lakes of Israel there are deposits of such an element; it lies in layers.
People use the described substance to improve the quality of soil throughout the country, with the exception of some areas. It is recommended to apply affordable and effective fertilizer in the fall, since at the time of planting, chlorine sinks into the deep layers of the earth and does not harm the crops.
Article outline
Potassium salts and their main properties
This mineral resource belongs to the non-metallic group and is easily soluble in water. It is the raw material for chemical industry, and salt crystals are formed due to the evaporation and cooling of moisture from potassium reservoirs.
Deposits of potassium salts are distributed throughout the world, there are a lot of them in Russia, Belarus, the USA, Israel and other countries; the element is extracted using the mining method, which is considered very dangerous.
Potassium salt, whose composition is simple, consists of tiny orange-brown crystals. Thanks to this, the fertilizer mixes well with the soil and does not settle on its surface.
An excess of the substance leads to uneven ripening of the crop, the plants weaken, and the fruits become tasteless and cannot be stored. But compliance correct dosage When fertilizing the soil, it helps to increase the resistance of crops to cold and precipitation.
Potassium salt, the formula of which is K2O, is carefully added by gardeners to the soil. The fertilizer rate is from 30 to 40 g per square meter, however, it cannot be used as food for berry crops and potatoes. It is best to feed beets, grapes, and fruit trees with potassium salt.
It is recommended to add potassium salt during the autumn digging of the beds, and this can also be done in early spring. As a rule, such fertilizer is used in conjunction with calcium supplements.
Experts highlight the following properties of potassium salt:
- good solubility in moist soil;
- ability to reduce soil salinity;
- positive impact on crop growth.
The types of soil that most need potassium salt are red soils, drained peatlands, forest-steppe zones, and soils with neutral acidity.
Heavy soils retain fertilizer best, but salt marshes and chernozems do not need such an additive.
The effect of potassium salt on plants
If there is a lack of a useful element, the leaves of the plants become covered with reddish-rusty spots, part of the green mass dies, and the stem becomes bent and pale. The root system weakens, as a result of which the quality of the crop deteriorates, the fruits turn out small and loose, and the bushes are susceptible to garden diseases.
Sunflowers, beets, cabbage and fruit trees are sensitive to a deficiency of the described fertilizer.
Potassium salt, the use of which is necessary, normalizes the metabolic processes of plants, increases their resistance to drought and adverse environmental factors.
This supplement also participates in carbohydrate metabolism and photosynthesis, increases the winter hardiness of crops. The main thing is to add the exact amount of the element and not allow it to overdose.
Potassium salt increases the starchiness of potatoes and the sugar content of other root vegetables, so fertilizer should be applied to the soil carefully.
Sufficient supply of the element in reproductive organs plants leads to the full formation of inflorescences and increased seed germination, as well as obtaining a high-quality harvest.
It is important to know that potassium salt contains chlorine in high concentrations and should not be used on plants that do not tolerate this substance satisfactorily.
For example, cucumbers and tomatoes, gooseberries, raspberries, strawberries and other berry crops, legumes, and salad varieties cannot tolerate this fertilizer. Potatoes take up potassium salt from the soil in small quantities, however, an excess of the element in the soil should not be allowed.
How is potassium salt mined?
Contents of the article
Potassium salt is one of the most important fertilizers for maintaining the life of any plant. Potassium deficiency immediately affects appearance plants, the foliage turns yellow and curls, marginal burns appear, the plant loses its bright green tint, the fruits may become deformed, and young shoots may not sprout at all. Therefore, any potassium salt, as a fertilizer, plays an important role.
Features and loot
Potassium fertilizers differ in the degree of concentration, and therefore are divided into two types. The first type is raw potassium salts, the second is concentrated.
In soils, salts occur in layers, lenses, or as lake deposits. When they are crushed and ground, raw potassium salts are obtained. Application raw potassium salt limited by high transportation costs and application costs, while active substance there is not much in the composition; there are third-party impurities. Some impurities can have a negative effect on plant cells.
Potassium salt is formed into brownish or pinkish crystals. Consists of potassium chloride, sylvinite and kainite. Potassium content: 50-60%. Potassium salt is a universal natural raw material and is the basis for the production of mineral fertilizers. In addition, it is used in the processing of valuable minerals, chemical reagents, detergents and cleaners, in the glass and paper and pulp industries. Fertilizer is extracted from natural deposits.
When caring for agricultural crops, sylvinite is often used. The method of artificial grinding produces white, pink or pale blue crystals of high hygroscopicity. Fertilizer easily penetrates into the ground, the plant gains access to it beneficial properties. Use with caution on sodium sensitive plants. It is mined in the Urals, Belarus, and Kazakhstan.
Cainite is considered a source of plant nutrients and is used in the production of fertilizers. It is obtained from processed sylvinite. Cainite is mined in Ukraine. Due to its low chlorine content, it is safe for sensitive crops, such as potatoes, grapes, and legumes.
Potassium chloride is a salt crystal white. Due to the high chlorine content, fertilizer is applied to the soil in the fall. The concentration of the active substance is high, and the price is low. If you follow the storage rules, potassium chloride does not cake. Large granules and crystals are easy to use; they do not wash out over time and do not stick together.
Excess chlorine can have a detrimental effect on the life of some plants, such as potato bushes, tobacco bushes, fruit and berry trees. Chlorine leads to a slowdown or complete stop of leaf growth, the appearance of brown spots, young shoots curl up, and shoots become woody. The use of nitrogen and magnesium fertilizers and liming of the soil will help to revive the plants.
For plants sensitive to chlorine, it is better to use potassium sulfate. Salts can be used in the fall when digging the garden, and in the summer and spring as top dressing.
Potassium salt for plants
The choice of the pre-winter period for applying salt is not accidental; chlorine is washed out of the soil a large number precipitation and melt water, and only potassium, which is most valuable for plants, remains. Potassium absorbed from the soil significantly affects the growth and development of plants:
Potassium enters all plant cells, in fruits, roots, leaves, stems. The need for potassium arises during the period of preparation for dormancy and during active growth, when shoots, tubers, and fruits are formed. As the plant ages, potassium ions move to young growing areas. Potassium ions are involved in metabolic processes, activate photosynthesis processes. When there is enough potassium in the cells, carbon dioxide is better absorbed and enough carbohydrates are synthesized. The synthesis of vitamin C is also enhanced, the fruits acquire a richer color and brighter aroma.
Cereals do not require a lot of potassium supplements, but for potatoes and beets, on the contrary, it is better to increase the amount. Garden plants And potassium helps flowers better withstand frost. Houseplants should not be fed with potassium salts; they are more suitable for garden and vegetable plants. It is better to fertilize indoor plants with potassium nitrate, potassium sulfate or potassium magnesia.
Fertilizers based on potassium salt
There are several ways to apply fertilizers. Regardless of which one is chosen, the fertilizer must be applied quickly, since the substance instantly dissolves in the ground. Each crop has its own quantitative norms and a certain period of fertilization:
- The main one (in spring or autumn is carried out locally or everywhere, based on weather conditions), provides plants with useful microelements for the entire subsequent period;
- Starter (fertilizers are applied during sowing), provides powerful support for the development of young plants;
- Fertilizing after sowing (supplementation during the period of active growth or in case of acute potassium deficiency).
It is better to apply universal fertilizers several times a season, in small quantities, to the soil surface so that the distance to the roots is 10-15 cm.
For different types of crops, it is very important to correctly calculate the dosage and select the moment of application. Cucumbers are very dependent on potassium, tomatoes need a little less. In any case, to calculate the dosage, instructions for use are attached to each drug. There are several general recommendations:
- Mixtures in the form of crystals and granules are applied by mixing with the top layers of soil;
- In spring, the norm of potassium salt is 25-30 g/10 m2;
- In autumn, the rate of applied potassium salt is 150 g/10 m. sq.;
- Potassium sulfate is added on average in an amount of 15-17 g/10 m2, regardless of the crop;
- It is not advisable to mix potassium fertilizers with lime, dolomites, and chalk;
- When cultivating the soil, be sure to use a respirator, rubber gloves, and protect your eyes with special goggles.
To obtain high yields, farmers use various fertilizers. One of the types of mineral supplements is considered to be potassium fertilizer, which replenishes the lack of potassium in plants. In most cases, such a composition can be found in the form of a salt soluble in water, less often - in combination with other components.
The role of potassium in plant life is great. What gardener doesn't use them?! Mining is carried out from ore in natural deposits. This fertilizer can be used on any soil composition:
- black soil;
- clayey terrain;
- on sandy beds.
Potassium is considered an important component that helps in the development of plantings, as it distributes sugar throughout the tissues to ensure normal nutrition and the formation of sweet and juicy fruits.
It combines well with many mineral components and creates complex mixtures with them. There are many tools, and each has a different name.
How to determine mineral deficiency in soil
Plants cultivated in light peat areas are in greatest need of potassium supply. Signs of deficiency of this element are especially pronounced in the summer season:
- Brown spots appear on the leaves;
- the foliage changes shade, becomes yellow or bluish with a bronze tint;
- “edge burns” are observed - the tips and edges of the leaf begin to die;
- the veins are deeply immersed in the green tissue;
- the stem becomes thin;
- planting stops intensive growth;
- wrinkles appear on the leaves and they curl;
- the process of bud formation is suspended.
Types of potash fertilizers
If we consider the chemical composition, the potassium group is divided into chloride and sulfate, and according to their production they are raw and concentrated.
Each type is distinguished by its positive and negative characteristics and has its own application features.
Potassium chloride
- the most popular option, represented by pink crystals, which perfectly absorb water and can cake during improperly organized storage, which will significantly worsen their dissolution at the time of use.
The fertilizer contains about forty percent chlorine, so this fertilizer is not used for chlorophobic plants. It is best to apply in the autumn season, so that the chlorine evaporates from the soil as quickly as possible.
The main disadvantage is the ability to accumulate salts in the soil, increasing its acidity.
Close-up of potassium chloride granules Based on the above, fertilizer must be applied in advance to avoid overdose.
Potassium sulfate
Smallish crystals gray, are highly soluble in water. They do not absorb moisture and do not cake during storage. The composition includes magnesium and calcium, which only improves useful qualities for plants.
The presence of sulfur prevents the accumulation of nitrates and prolongs the survival of plants. This allows you to feed vegetable crops with this fertilizer.
There is no chlorine in the fertilizer, for this reason it can be used at any time on almost all soil compositions. The exception is lands with increased level acidity.
Potassium sulfate
Wood ash
A universal and generally available product, suitable for all plants and almost all soil compositions. The fertilizer does not contain chlorine and can be used at any time. The ash is added in a dry state and diluted with water.
It is not mixed with manure and bird droppings, nor combined with nitrogen mixtures and superphosphates.
Wood ash
Potassium salt
This is a mixture consisting of potassium chloride and finely ground sylvinites. The percentage reaches forty, which makes feeding not so suitable for feeding plants that are sensitive to potassium chloride. For this reason, the composition is applied to the soil in the fall, when digging the beds. In the spring, it is allowed to use salt if the soil is very waterlogged. The water will wash away the chlorine, and the potassium will remain in the soil. IN summer time composition is not used.
If we compare fertilizer with potassium chloride, then you can add one and a half times more salts.
Potassium salt
Calimagnesia
Does not contain chlorine, excellent for feeding potatoes, tomato plants and others vegetable crops. Due to its magnesium content, the product is recommended for use on sandy and sandy loam beds. The drug is hygroscopic and disperses well.
Calimagnesia Potash
The composition is characterized by increased hygroscopicity and quickly begins to cake if it is moistened. In this case, its properties are lost. To improve its characteristics, lime is sometimes added to it, but then there is a risk of increasing acidity in the soil.
Potash Potassium nitrate
Contains nitrogen, which has a beneficial effect on plant development. The fertilizer composition is perfectly preserved in dry storage. With little moisture it hardens and becomes almost unusable. It should be applied in the spring, during planting. The use of saltpeter is also allowed in the summer season.
Potassium nitrate Meaning of cement dust
The element is part of a variety of salts that are highly soluble, which makes it possible for potassium to easily saturate plant cells. It is used for crops that react poorly to chlorine. It can also be used to neutralize the acidity of the soil. Therefore, the importance of such feeding is great.
Cement dust The value of fertilizing in plant life
Oxidation in plant cells occurs more intensely, and an increase in cellular metabolism. Crops easily respond to insufficient moisture, photosynthesis occurs faster. Rapid adaptation to negative temperatures occurs, and the level of resistance to pathogenic manifestations increases.
Application technology for plants
There are three known options for using fertilizers:
- pre-sowing;
- pre-sowing;
- post-sowing.
It is most used in the fall, since many of its varieties contain chlorine. Dosages are set taking into account the depletion of the land.
It will be better if you scatter the fertilizer over the surface several times, maintaining a distance of fifteen centimeters from the roots. Liquid formulations work effectively; they should be prepared according to the instructions.
The supplement is really popular. It is only necessary to remember that an excessive dose of potassium or violations in the use of the composition harm not only the plants, but also the soil composition. Particular care should be taken with formulations containing chlorine.
The most important potassium salts are chloride and sulfate and the minerals they form.
PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL PROPERTIES
Potassium chloride and other halides crystallize from aqueous solutions NaCl type. Above 0° (except KF -2 H 20) anhydrous salts crystallize. There is a crystalline hydrate KS1 H20, melting the neck at -5.30°; eutectic temperature KS1-H20 + ice -9.80e1.
The density of KS1 crystals is 1.99 g/cm3; heat of fusion 6.41 kcal/mol; heat of sublimation (KS1Kr-KS1G) 53.4 kcal/mol. The melting and boiling points of potassium halides increase in the series I-+F:
Melting temperature, °C Boiling temperature, °C
KI........................... 682 1330
KVg............................. 728 1376
KS1 ..................... 768 1417
KF........................ 856 1505
Potassium also forms polyhalides, for example Kb-3HgO, K1Cl4, etc.
Saturated aqueous solutions of potassium halides contain the following amounts of solute (in weight %):
KI................................... 56.2 59.8 67.35
KVg............................. 34.92 40.7 61.20
KS1................................... 21.90 26.45 35.90
KF........................................ 30.70 48.90 " 59.80
The solubility diagram in the KCI-NaCl-H20 system is shown in Fig. 38.
Sulfate potassium K2SO4 - forms four polymorphs with transformation temperatures of 300, 350, 449 and 585°2; it melts at 1069°. There are a number of acid salts of potassium sulfate, the melting point of which is significantly lower than at Medium salt; for example, for KzN(504)2 it is equal to 350°3.
The solubility of potassium sulfate in water at 0° is 6.71%; 25° - 10.75% and 100° - 19.4% - Crystallizes from aqueous solutions without -
Water level, and below 9.7° K2S04-H20; the melting point of the eutectic K2S 04 H20 + ice is 1.55°4.
Water vapor pressure above saturated solutionsat 100° for KS1 -567.8 mmHg Art., for K2S04 -723.8 mmrt. Art.Oh yeah The phenomenon of steam over solutions of the K+, Na+, Mg system 2+ || Cr, SO4 See 5"6. About pressure at high temperatures see 7.
APPLICATION
Potassium salts are used mainly as mineral fertilizers. The main product of the potash industry is potassium chloride, about 95% of which is used as a mineral fertilizer, and the remaining 5% is processed into caustic potassium and other potassium compounds.
From total number potassium fertilizer salts 8-10%" are produced in the form of potassium sulfate and double salt of potassium and magnesium sulfates (K2S04>MgS04), potassium magnesium, used to fertilize soils for chlorophobic crops (tobacco, citrus fruits, etc.), the quality of which deteriorates under the influence of the ion chlorine
Until recently, the main producers of potassium salts were the USSR, USA, East Germany, Germany and France. Since 1965, the potash industry in Canada has been rapidly developing on the basis of the Saskatchewan deposit; It is expected that production levels in Canada will soon exceed those in the United States. Relatively small quantities potassium salts are produced in Spain, Israel and Italy; Preparations are underway for the development of potash deposits in the Congo and Ethiopia. The total production of potassium salts over the past ten years has increased more than 2 times and currently amounts (in terms of KgO) to 15 million. T per year.
According to the increase in production, consumption per unit of agricultural area increased, which in a number of highly developed countries reached the optimal level for this type of soil. The amount of introduced salts in terms of KgO in kg by 1 ha agricultural area is: in the USA - 70, Belgium - 120, Japan - 103, Germany - 80. However, in many countries this value does not exceed 1-1.5 kg.
In small quantities, raw (i.e. not enriched) potassium salts containing about 20% K20, extracted from the subsoil, are used as fertilizer.
The quality of potassium chloride produced in the USSR is regulated by GOST 4568-65; Depending on the production method, potassium chloride is produced in two grades: K - obtained by crystallization from solution and F - by flotation enrichment of potassium ores (Table 15).
TABLE 15
|
Potassium chloride supplied agriculture, must be non-caking; in order to eliminate caking, it is allowed to treat it with amines or other reagents.
Along with the production of fine-crystalline potassium chloride, it is also planned to produce a granular or coarse-crystalline product obtained by crystallization from solutions and flotation enrichment; for grades 3 and 2 contents of class 4-2 mm must be at least 80% and class 1-2 mm- no more than 20%.
Sulfate-potassium fertilizers in the USSR are produced in the form of potassium sulfate, potassium magnesium (double salt of potassium and magnesium sulfates with admixtures of potassium and sodium chlorides) and potassium-magnesium concentrate obtained by flotation enrichment of kai-nito-langbeinite ore.
Calimagnesia in accordance with technical specifications contains in terms of dry matter: in grade 1 KgO at least 30%, in grade 2 28%; MgO, respectively, 20 and 8%; the chlorine content should not exceed 5% for grade 1; for grade 2 it is not regulated. The moisture content for grades 1 and 2 should be no more than 5%, including hygroscopic - no more than 2%. The material must pass through a sieve with 5 holes mm.
|
19,0 17,5 9,0 8,0 4,0 4,0 |
Potassium-magnesium concentrate is also produced in two grades:
Grade 1 Grade 2
KgO in terms of dehydrated substance in 96, not less
MgO in terms of dehydrated substance in%, not less
Moisture in%, no more...................................
Residue on sieve with 3 holes mm In %, no more
Potassium sulfate, obtained by processing polymineral ores according to the regulations developed by VNIIG, is produced in grades 1 and 2. Content (in%, in terms of dry matter): KgO for 1st grade is not less than 50, for 2nd - 45; chlorine ion no more than 0.5 and 2, respectively. Moisture no more than 0.5% for both varieties.
Potassium chloride produced in foreign countries, is produced with a content of at least 60-61% ChO in the form of the so-called standard (fine-crystalline with a minimum content of dust fractions), coarse-crystalline, with an average grain size (0.5-2.3 mm) and granular - (0.8-3.3 lsh). On special orders, fine potassium chloride (0.1-0.2 mm).
Potassium chloride, produced for technical purposes, is used to produce potassium hydroxide, potassium chlorate and perchlorate, used as bleaches and in the production of explosives, potassium bromide and iodide, used
in the pharmaceutical and photographic industries, potassium carbonate, used to produce special glasses and glazes, potassium silicate (K2Si20s), used for impregnating wood, bleaching fabrics and other purposes, potassium cyanide - a reagent for extracting gold from ores, potassium peroxide (POg) and other peroxide compounds for air regeneration, and other potassium compounds. KS1 crystals have very high transparency for infrared rays, which is why they are used in some optical instruments.
RAW MATERIALS
Potassium content in earth's crust is -1.5%. Potassium is part of aluminosilicates that make up many rocks, feldspars, granites, leucites, gneisses, solid fossil salt deposits and brines of marine and continental origin. Soil components, especially clay substances, actively retain (by sorption) potassium, which, in particular, has a very important for plant life. Thanks to this ability of soils, the leaching of potassium occurs relatively slowly, resulting in the content of its salts in natural waters, as a rule, many times lower than sodium and magnesium salts.
In table 16 presents the main, most common potassium minerals.
TABLE 16
Composition and properties of the most common potassium minerals
Sylvin Carnallite Arcanite Cainite
Bromocarnallite
Langbeinnt
Caliborite
Glaserite
Polyhalite
Glauconite
KS1. ................................................." ................
KS1 MgCI2 6N20............................................... .
K2so4 ................................................
KCl-MgS04-3H20................................................. .......
KBr MgBr2 6H20................................................. ..
K2S04-MgS04-6H20.................................... .....
K2S04 MgSO^ 4H2-0............................................
K2S04-2MgS04............................................ .........
K2S04 CaS04 H20................................................. ..
K20 4MgO 11B203 18H20.................................
3K8S04-Na2S04............................................... .........
K2S04 MgS04 2CaS04 2H20.................................
(K, Na)20 A1203 2SiOa.....................................
(K, Na)2S04 A13(S04)3 4Al(OH)3.................................
K20 A1203 4Si02............................................ ...
KK, Na)20 +(Mg, Ca, Fe)0].(Fe, A1)203.4S|02.2H20
1,57 2,66 2,070-2,19
|
2- 3 2 2,5 3 3- 4 2,5 4- 5 2,5-3 5-6 3,5-4 5-6 2 -3 |
2,176 2,03-2,15 2,25 2,83 2,58-2,60 2,13 2,70 2,72-2,78 2,60 2,60-2,80 2,45-2,50 2,2-2,8
Potassium ores are determined by the predominant content of certain minerals in them. Silvinite is a rock consisting of sylvite (10-60%) and halite (25-70%) with
Symi anhydrite, magnesium carbonate and clayey substances. There are sylvinites with carnallite veinlets or a mixture of sylvinites with carnallites.
The world's largest deposit of potassium salts, the Verkhnekamskoye deposit, is represented by sylvinite and carnallite ores; its origin is associated with the evaporation of the Permian Sea basins. Approximate diagram The geological section of the field in the Solikamsk region is shown in Fig. 39 (according to A. A. Ivanov). Under the cap rocks of the alluvial layer (limestones, clays and anhydrite) there is a layer of cap rock salt, below it lies
Carnallite zone, the thickness of which reaches 100 in some areas m. In it, layers of yellow carnallite rock containing 50-£5% carnallite are layered rock salt. In the upper and lower parts of the carnallite zone, sylvinite rock occurs in places. Beneath the carnallite zone lies the main sylvinite zone, the average thickness of which reaches 30 m. The upper horizon of this zone consists of variegated sylvinite - a mixture of milky white sylvite crystals with gray, blue and blue halite crystals. Under the variegated sylvinite lies a horizon of red sylvinite - a mixture of wax-red sylvinite with blue rock salt. The KS1 content varies in the zone of variegated sylvinites from 40 to 55%, in the zone of red sylvinites from 10 to 35%. Underneath the sylvinite zone lies a thick layer of rock salt. The upper surface of the salt mass is located below earth's surface at depths from 100 to 350 m. The salt deposit has the shape of a large lens, elongated in the meridian direction. Potassium ores of the Verkhnekamsk deposit are mined from a layer of variegated sylvinites. The KS1 content in mined sylvinite varies on average from 23 to 30%, NaCl
From 65 to 75%, insoluble clay substances - 0.5-3%; the content of bromine, found in ores in the form of bromine carnallite, ranges from 0.06 to 0.17% 8.
One of distinctive features Verkhnekamsk place - ^ birth is a relatively high content of gases in the form of microinclusions and “free” gases - in the pores and voids of the rock 9-sh. The gases include hydrogen, methane, nitrogen and carbon dioxide; flammable gases (H2 and CH4) are found mainly in carnallite ores.
IN recent years The exploitation of a large deposit of potassium ores in Belarus - Starobinsky (Upper Devonian deposits) began. The deposit is represented by sylvinites with small admixtures of carnallite, the content of clayey substances ranges from 4-5 to 10-12%.
Pre-Carpathian deposits of potassium salts (Miocene era) are represented by a number of potassium-bearing lenses composed of sulfate-nopotassium minerals. Potassium rocks are interlayered with clayey or pure rock salt. Greatest industrial value have Kalush-Golynskoye and Stebnikovskoye deposits, represented by sulfate-chloride minerals; ores are composed of kainite rock (halite 20-40%, kainite 35-60%, polyhalite 3-7%, clay material 6-15%) and langbeinite-kai - nit rock (halite - 30%, kainite 20-30%, langbeinite 10-20%, sylvite 5-10%, kieserite 5-10%, clay materials -
Up to 20%) h-13
In addition to those listed, deposits of water-soluble potash ores in the USSR are located in Central Asia(Gaurdak and Karlyuk), in the Volga-Emba region and a number of others.
Deposits of potassium salts in the German Democratic Republic and Germany contain, along with sylvite, halite and carnallite, significant quantities of kieserite, anhydrite, as well as admixtures of kainite, langbeinpt, tachhydrite (CaCl2 MgCl2 12H20). The presence of significant quantities of sulfate-chloride minerals is associated with the conditions of formation of the deposit, the salt basin of which was the Zechstein Sea with a relatively low degree of brine metamorphization. The ores of the deposit are divided into hartzel - tse and carnallite.
Approximate composition of Hartsaltz rocks (in%):
Cernite Anhydrite Hartsaltz Hartsaltz
|
20-24 20-23 40-60 50-61 17-28 0,5 1,5 15-20 |
One of the largest V world potassium salt deposits are located in Canada (Saskatchewan), its exploitation began in
60s. The deposit is represented by sylvinite and kar -Nallite ores located at considerable depths 14.
For the first time in world practice, at this deposit, along with the mine method, the extraction of potassium salts by underground leaching was organized 15.
In the USA, potassium deposits are composed of sylvinite and carnallite ores; in some areas there are layers of langbeinite (New Mexico).
Potassium deposits in France and Spain are represented by sylvinite and carnallite ores. In Italy, ores containing kainite, carnallite and sylvinite are processed.
The water of the oceans and seas contains 0.05% potassium. With a volume of water in the world's oceans of 1370-106 km 3, the potassium content in it is approximately 7-1014 tons of KgO, which exceeds the known reserves of potassium salt deposits by more than 10 million times. Thus, the world ocean is a practically inexhaustible source of potassium salts. Some types of algae (Macrocystis, etc.) actively extract potassium from sea water, so the ash of these plants can serve as a source of potassium. From a sea area of 400 km2 It is possible to collect annually such an amount of algae, the processing of which produces more than 1 million. t KgO 16.
In recent years, the production of potassium salts from condensed brine of the Dead Sea has increased significantly 17"18. Potassium salts are obtained through the complex processing of brine from Lake Searles (USA, California)19. This deposit is represented by a so-called dry lake - the brine permeates the salt layer of the lake and The salt layer consists of halite, glaserite (3K2S04 Na2S04), trona (Na2C03 NaHCOg 2H20) and boron minerals. A significant amount of potassium-containing brines is found in Lake Inder (USSR), which also belongs to the type of dry lakes20.
Source for industrial production Polyhalite ores, deposits of which in the USSR are located in the Zhilyansky and Volga-Embinsky regions, can serve as potassium. Industrial extraction of potassium salts from polyhalites has not yet been carried out. It has been established that polyhalite rock washed from NaCl is a good mineral fertilizer.
An additional source of potassium salts is dust separated in electric precipitators of cement kilns. The raw mixture used for the preparation of cement contains 0.2-!% ChO, a significant part of which is sublimated during the calcination process and is released when the temperature decreases in electric precipitators. The K20 content in water-soluble form in this product is 20-30%.
Processing of sylvinite, hartsaltz and carnallite ores into potassium chloride is carried out:
1) The method of dissolution and separate crystallization, based on the difference in temperature coefficients of solubility of the salt components of the ore (this method is also called thermal or halurgical).
2) Mechanical enrichment of rock, mainly flotation; Gravity separation in the beneficiation of potash ores is not widely used.
3) A combination of flotation enrichment with dissolution and crystallization of fine ore fractions; Schemes of this kind have begun to be widely used in recent years in foreign practice.
4) Underground leaching of ore followed by processing of the brine by evaporation and crystallization; This method is currently used only in Canada when processing ore located at great depths.
