How does potassium chloride become part of potash fertilizer?
![A periodic table element box for potassium shows atomic number 19, symbol K, atomic weight 39.0983, electron configuration [Ar]4s1, and name potassium. Icons indicate it is an alkali metal, solid at room temperature, body-centered cubic crystal structure, and has strongly basic higher-valence oxides. A key explains the symbols for alkali metals, solid state, body-centered cubic structure, and strong basicity.](https://cdn.britannica.com/81/22381-050-E3372C94/properties-Potassium.jpg)
Potassium chloride (KCl), often referred to as muriate of potash, becomes a primary component of potash fertilizer through large-scale geological mining and refining processes.12
Most potash is derived from the mineral sylvite, which is found deep underground in evaporite deposits—sedimentary rocks formed by the evaporation of ancient saltwater bodies. Mining typically targets sylvinite, a natural mixture of sylvite and halite (sodium chloride).12
The extraction and refinement process involves two main methods:
* Underground Mining: Ore is extracted using explosives and mechanical boring, then brought to the surface to be crushed and refined.1
* Solution Mining: Water or brine is injected underground to dissolve the potassium-bearing minerals. The resulting solution is pumped to the surface, where the water is evaporated to recover the potassium chloride.12
Once extracted, the ore is refined using techniques such as fractional crystallization or flotation to separate the potassium chloride from other minerals. Approximately 90 percent of all manufactured potassium chloride is utilized by the fertilizer industry.2