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K2O vs. K2SO4/KCl




---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Sun, 03 Jun 2001 05:59:30 -0400
To: Aquatic-Plants at actwin_com
From: Jared Weinberger <jared at brainyday_com>
Subject: K2O vs. K2SO4/KCl

John Wheeler <Jcwheel76 at aol_com> asks about potash and PMDD.

I think you'll find that while labels express potassium as K20, this
compound is rather unstable and the potassium isn't usually present in this
form.  If you look in the dictionary, the definition of potash of interest
to us is "any substance containing potassium, esp. salts derived from ...
whose potassium content is expressed in terms of K2O; used in fertilizers,
soaps, etc." 

It's similar to "alkalinity", which is usually expressed in terms of
calcium carbonate -- although there doesn't have to be any calcium present.
Or that of "hardness" being (also) expressed as calcium carbonate: in this
case the carbonate isn't of interest and the hardness can be due to calcium
or magnesium, both, or even other ions).

Jared

Plant Resources at http://www.brainyday.com/jared/aquarium/info.htm


___________________________________________________________
Jared Weinberger                    jared at brainyday_com
____________ http://www.brainyday.com/jared _______________