Potassium Nitrate, also known as saltpetre or nitre, is a naturally occurring mineral that contains three basic chemical elements; potassium, nitrogen and oxygen.
We can offer Potassium Nitrate in a range of grades such as technical grade, BP grade, pharmaceutical grade and pure grade, packed into 25kg bags or 1000kg bulk bags. We also supply a Potassium Nitrate 40% solution in 1000 Litre IBCs and bulk tankers. Using our blending facilities we are also able to dilute Potassium Nitrate to other strengths to meet our customer’s requirements.
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The principle application of Potassium Nitrate is within the fertilizer industry used as a water soluble and virtually chloride-free source of nitrogen and potassium nutrients. Due to this characteristic, Potassium Nitrate’s target markets are related to high-value crops such as vegetables, fruits and flowers; certain chloride-sensitive crops such as potatoes, strawberries, carrots, onions, apricot and grapefruit, depend for their quality on the use of chloride-free sources such as Potassium Nitrate.
Furthermore, Potassium Nitrate, when mixed with Sodium Nitrate becomes a vital storage medium for storing energy in Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) plants, making them very effective in storing heat energy for up to several days which improves their efficiency. Solar energy is a renewable green energy source which is being used increasingly more as an environmentally friendly energy source to reduce the effects of global warming; Potassium Nitrate’s use in this application has the potential to play a key role in future growth of demand.
Potassium Nitrate has been used in the process of food preservation since the Middle Ages and is still used in the food industry today as a means to cure and preserve meat, and is responsible for the characteristic pink colour of meats such as salami and corned beef.
A further application of Potassium Nitrate comes from its oxidising properties; Potassium Nitrate is an efficient oxidizer, producing a lilac coloured flame upon burning due to the presence of potassium and can therefore be used to make fireworks, grenades, bombs and amateur solid-rocket propellant. Potassium Nitrate is also used in the production and manufacturing of cigarettes to help the tobacco burn evenly.
Potassium Nitrate also has uses within the pharmaceutical industry; it is a well known product to desensitise sore teeth by interfering with the transmission of pain signals and is therefore an ingredient in many toothpastes.
Additionally, Potassium Nitrate can be used as a tree stump remover by accelerating natural decomposition and is also commonly used in the production of optic glass and high grade craft glassware.
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