Potash Shipping Page 1 of 1

otash Shippi 9

Control samples are drawn and analyzed on a continuou s'

basis throughout the entire production process, ensuring
max imum recovery, operating efficiency and quality
finished pmduct,!. All finished products are sampled as they
e being loaded into rail cars or truck . The sam ples are
tested to ensure t hey conform to aU grade specificatio ns
Before t bey are allowed t o leave th e mine si e. Shou ld any
' quest ion of confOFfiiity exi5,l, t he product is repl aceo. Th e
samples drawn fro m each ra ilca r and truck are ret ained fo r
rev iew shou ld questio ns arise in the fu t ure .

:tigricultural grades of potas ~ are almost a ways handled In bul . This often mea ns potash wi ll
be hand led a number of ti mes before it is appl ied to t he far mer's field. Each t ime it is handled
it is subject to abrasion that can generate ve ry fine dust. Pot ash is treated wi t h reagents just
prior to loa ding. Since potash is a sa lt, it is easily disso lve d in water. Hi gh hum idity can also
cause prob lems as the crysta ls may fuse togethe r and make hand li ng and use d ifficult. To
mini ize these prob lems, which can increase the longer t he product is stored, ot ash '
r ted with reagents ju st prior to shipping Generally two reagents are added . One is t o
control caking, which means it he lps to keep the product free-flow ing and m inim izes the
tendency to fOl'm lumps. The second treatment minimizes the amount of dust generat ed by
handl ing. ,-

clea n an a Clry warehouse will keep pota sh in good

CODditio.,', Exposure to rain or snow should be avoided
during load ing and unloading. Potash is a sal t and will
dissolve if exposed to moisture. Th ere are ma~ndustrial
uses for pot~sh, ndust rial potasb ma y be s.hipped in bul
from th <=-mine by ingJe car or tru ck, much like.agdculturai'
po as~. Or it may be loaded into 18 to 25 kg (40 to 55
pound) 6ag# that are usually pa lletized, shrink-wrapped
and then shipped by truck . Some large 680 kg (1,500
pound) m ini-bu lk bags are used fo r specific markets.

Over 90 percent of PCS potash is shi pped in bu lk by rail,

the balance by truck. Unit trains are dispatched to load
barges and vessels, as well as warehouses thro ughout
North America. Potash is shipped primari ly by rai l.
Essentially all agriculture potash is sh ipped in bu lk from the
mine either by 91-tonne (100-ton) ra il car or by t r uck. Rail
sh ipme nts can be sing le car or more ofte n by unit tra in to
an in land wa rehouse, a rive r or lake term inal, a fleet of
barges or to load a lake or ocean going vessels. It takes
about 6 m inutes to load a 91-to nne (lOO-ton) rail car.

http:// eshome.potasheorp.pes/potash!doeumentsltourlshippi n .htm 1 8/18/2006