Editing Potash (section)

==== Wood-derived potash ====
Potash was one of the most important industrial chemicals. It was refined from the ashes of [[broad-leaved tree|broadleaved trees]] and produced primarily in the forested areas of Europe, [[Russia]], and [[North America]]. Although methods for producing artificial alkalis were invented in the late 18th century, these did not become economical until the late 19th century and so the dependence on organic sources of potash remained.

Potash became an important international trade commodity in Europe from at least the early 14th century. It is estimated that European imports of potash required 6 or more million cubic metres each year from the early 17th century.<ref name="Paul Warde 2018"/> Between 1420 and 1620, the primary exporting cities for [[wood ash|wood-derived potash]] were [[Gdańsk]], [[Königsberg]] and [[Riga]]. In the late 15th century, London was the lead importer due to its position as the centre of soft soap making while the Dutch dominated as suppliers and consumers in the 16th century.<ref name="Paul Warde 2018">Paul Warde, 'Trees, Trade and Textiles: Potash Imports and Ecological Dependency in British Industry, c. 1550–1770', Past & Present, 240, 1, 2018, 47–82</ref> From the 1640s, geopolitical disruptions (i.e. [[Russo-Polish War (1654–1667)]]) meant that the centres of export moved from the Baltic to [[Archangelsk]], Russia. In 1700, Russian ash was dominant though Gdańsk remained notable for the quality of its potash.