K

Potassium is an alkali metal, silvery white in color, indispensable for plant and animal life. Potassium and its compounds are mainly used in fertilizers, as well as in pharmaceuticals and in the manufacture of glass, detergent, and liquid soap. Potassium can be found in several minerals; however, economic potassium is mostly extracted from minerals such as sylvite, sylvinite and carnallite in evaporite deposits formed in sea water and lakes, and from potassium-rich underground or surface brines. The global potassium market is expected to increase due to the important role of potassium in the ever-growing agricultural and industrial sectors. No substitutes exist for potassium as an essential plant nutrient and as an essential nutritional requirement for animals and humans.