How did Joseph Black analyze kelp as a possible source of alkali?

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Joseph Black Joseph Black, detail of an engraving by J. Rogers after a portrait by Sir Henry Raeburn

Joseph Black analyzed kelp—a form of seaweed—as a potential source of alkali during his time as an industrial consultant in Scotland.1

As the price of potash made from wood ashes rose due to timber shortages, Black and his colleagues at the University of Edinburgh sought more economical alternatives for the bleaching industry. Black investigated samples of burned kelp obtained from various locations along the Scottish coast to determine their viability as a source of alkali. Through his analysis, he demonstrated that the yield of alkali from these seaweed sources varied significantly depending on the specific place of origin.1