Researchers from Perm National Research Polytechnic University in Russia, collaborating with colleagues at Jiangxi University of Science and Technology in China, have explored a promising new pathway to enhance the extraction of potassium in fertilizer production. The university press office reported the development to socialbites.ca. Potassium remains a cornerstone nutrient in modern agriculture, primarily sourced from sylvinite ores through flotation, a separation process that yields potassium chloride alongside sodium chloride. To drive efficiency, specialized reagents are employed, yet certain physicochemical limitations of these substances hinder performance and raise costs.
In the joint study, the teams placed the reagents inside an ultrasonic chamber and subjected them to acoustic waves across a range of powers—from 168 up to 420 watts—for a duration of 150 seconds. After treatment, researchers evaluated how the changes in the reagents influenced the buoyancy and separation quality of potash ore particles. The findings indicate that ultrasound can alter key properties of the reagents. For instance, ultrasonication can reduce the size of large molecular aggregates and modify the solution’s charge potential, both factors that influence how particles behave in flotation media. These changes correlated with improved separation performance, particularly at a processing power of 252 watts, which yielded the most favorable results in the experiments.
Looking ahead, the team envisions verifying these gains under pilot industrial conditions to assess scalability, robustness, and economic viability in real production lines. If pilot tests succeed, the ultrasound-assisted approach could become a practical option for mining and chemical processing facilities seeking lower reagent usage and higher ore recovery rates.
Earlier, scientists from Siberia proposed a method for extracting minerals from extraterrestrial bodies such as the Moon and Mars, reflecting a broader interest in expanding mineral processing techniques beyond Earth. The current work adds to this broader trend by showing how sound-based processing can tune material interactions in flotation systems, potentially broadening the toolkit available to potassium producers in North America and beyond.