Most of the production of potassium is used for fertilisers: Method And Arrangement For Compressing And Lumping Salts, Preferably Potassium-Fertilizer Salts (1970).
Many potassium salts are very important:
- nitrate: Process Of Producing Potassium Nitrate (1919),
- carbonate: Method Of Making Potassium Carbonate (1920),
- chloride Process Of Extracting Potassium Chloride (1904),
- bromide: An Improved Non-Caking Potassium Bromide Composition (1955),
- cyanide: Improvements in the Purification of Potassium Cyanide (1902), and
- sulfate: Process Of Producing Potassium Sulfate (1915).
Potassium carbonate is used in the manufacture of Glass: Improvements In Or Relating To The Manufacture Of Resistant Glass (1923).
Potassium hydroxide is used to make detergent and liquid soap: Process For Producing Potassium Hydroxide Of High Purity (1944).
Potassium chloride is used in pharmaceuticals and saline drips: Method of treating hypokalemia (1991).
Potassium reacts with water even more violently than sodium does. It’s a real blast, but don’t try this at home: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jy1DC6Euqj4.
References:
All patent information has been obtained from Espacenet (European Patent Office).