Editing Potash (section)

==Terminology==
Potash refers to potassium compounds and potassium-bearing materials, most commonly potassium carbonate. The word "potash" originates from the [[Middle Dutch]] {{Lang|dum|potaschen}}, denoting "pot ashes" in 1477.<ref name="Etyl">
{{cite web
|last1=van der Sijs i.a.|first1=Nicoline
|title=POTAS (SCHEIKUNDIG ELEMENT)
|url=http://etymologiebank.nl/trefwoord/potas|website=Etymologiebank
|access-date=14 August 2016
|language=nl
|date=2010
}}</ref>
The old method of making [[potassium carbonate]] ({{chem|K|2|CO|3}}) was by collecting or producing [[wood ash]] (the occupation of [[ash burner]]s), [[Leaching (chemistry)|leaching]] the ashes, and then evaporating the resulting solution in large iron pots, which left a white residue denominated "pot ash".<ref>{{OEtymD|potash}}</ref> Approximately 10% by weight of common [[wood ash]] can be recovered as potash.<ref name=usgs>{{cite news|url=http://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/potash/|publisher=USGS|title=Potash|author=Stephen M. Jasinski|archive-date=2018-12-12|access-date=2009-02-20|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181212063308/https://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/potash/|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="ce">{{cite encyclopedia |title=Potash |encyclopedia=[[The Canadian Encyclopedia]] |url=https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/potash |access-date=August 31, 2019 |date=March 4, 2015}}</ref> Later, "potash" became widely applied to naturally occurring minerals that contained potassium salts and the commercial product derived from them.<ref>{{cite news|title=The World Potash Industry: Past, Present and Future|publisher=50th Anniversary Meeting The Fertilizer Industry Round Table|place=New Orleans, LA|year=2000|url=http://www.potashcorp.com/media/pdf/investor_relations/speeches/world_potash_industry.pdf}}{{dead link|date=March 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

The following table lists a number of potassium compounds that have "potash" in their traditional names:
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Common name !! Chemical name (Formula)
|-
|Potash fertilizer ||colspan="2"| Up to the early 20th century: [[potassium carbonate]] (K<sub>2</sub>CO<sub>3</sub>).
Beginning from the late 19th century: one or more of [[potassium chloride]] (KCl), [[potassium sulfate]] (K<sub>2</sub>SO<sub>4</sub>) or [[potassium nitrate]] (KNO<sub>3</sub>).<ref>{{cite book|title = 2005 Minerals Handbook|chapter = Potash|publisher = [[United States Geological Survey]]|date = September 2006|author = Dennis Kostick|page = 58.1|chapter-url = http://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/potash/potasmyb05.pdf|access-date = 2011-01-29}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|publisher = [[American Chemical Society]]|title = Composition of Potash Fertilizer Salts for Sale on the American Market|author = J. W. Turrentine|doi=10.1021/ie50299a022|journal = Industrial & Engineering Chemistry|year = 1934|volume = 26|issue = 11|pages = 1224–1225}}</ref> Does ''not'' contain [[potassium oxide]] (K<sub>2</sub>O), which plants do not take up;<ref>{{cite journal
 | title = Potash Terminology and Facts
 | author = Joseph R. Heckman
 | journal = Plant & Pest Advisory
 | date = January 17, 2002
 | publisher = [[Rutgers University]]
 | volume = 7
 | issue = 13
 | page = 3
 | url = http://njaes.rutgers.edu/pubs/plantandpestadvisory/2002/fc0117.pdf
 | access-date = January 29, 2011
 | archive-date = July 19, 2011
 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110719054037/http://njaes.rutgers.edu/pubs/plantandpestadvisory/2002/fc0117.pdf
 | url-status = dead
 }} Reprinted from ''Agri-Briefs'', from the Agronomists of the Potash & Phosphate Institute, Winter 2001–2002, No.7</ref> the amount of potassium is often reported as K<sub>2</sub>O equivalent (that is, how much it would be if in K<sub>2</sub>O form), however, to allow apples-to-apples comparison between different fertilizers using different types of potash.
|-
|Caustic potash or potash lye ||[[potassium hydroxide]] (KOH)
|-
|{{nowrap|Carbonate of potash,}} {{nowrap|salts of tartar,}} or {{nowrap|pearl ash}} ||[[potassium carbonate]] (K<sub>2</sub>CO<sub>3</sub>)
|-
|Chlorate of potash ||[[potassium chlorate]] (KClO<sub>3</sub>)
|-
|Muriate of potash (MOP) ||[[potassium chloride]] (KCl:NaCl = 95:5 or higher)<ref name=usgs2/>
|-
|Nitrate of potash or saltpeter||[[potassium nitrate]] (KNO<sub>3</sub>)
|-
|Sulfate of potash (SOP) ||[[potassium sulfate]] (K<sub>2</sub>SO<sub>4</sub>)
|-
|{{nowrap|Permanganate of potash}} ||[[potassium permanganate]] (KMnO<sub>4</sub>)
|}