The Effect of Source and Thermal Combustion of Maize Plant for the Production Maize Stover Ash Potash (MSAP)

Abstract

The effect of source and thermal combustion of maize plant for the production of MSAP was investigated. MSAP is a maize stover ash potash which is majorly a potassium based salt. This salt could be chlorides, sulphates and nitrates, but the qualities and properties of potassium in potash differ due to the source of such plants and the temperature of combustion into ash. The combustion of stover into ash for the production of potash can either be done in open air or closed system such as furnace. This study investigated the quality of potash derived from the ashes of maize Stover, dried to a constant weight and thermally combusted in the open and closed systems. The result showed that the potash has varying qualities of potassium salts due to source and mode of combustion. The analyses of the properties of MSAP by NAA and XRD showed that the qualitative and quantitative elements present include K,Na, Cl, Ca, Mn and other trace elements. These elements appear as a eutectic mixture, and the potash revealed as Halite, K-rich syn.