Primary Applications
Fertilizers, industrial chemicals, glass, soaps, food processing
Mining Significance
Potassium for industrial use is mined primarily as potash, a group of potassium-bearing salts dominated by minerals such as sylvite and carnallite, and can also be recovered from brines. Most potash production is used in fertilizers because potassium is an essential plant nutrient. Ore mineralogy and soluble-salt chemistry favor mining and processing methods that differ substantially from conventional hard-rock metal beneficiation.
