It is then crystallized into the salt and potash. Care must be taken to develop and space cavities so that ground collapse is avoided. Some of the salt may be transported by pipeline to be refined for commercial use. In all potash plants, crystalline potash is dried and separated into its various particle sizes by a series of screens and chemical processes. The dried, sized-potash is then sent to storage or directly to loading facilities.
Sodium chloride is mined in a similar manner.
Depending on the nature of the deposit and the specific company, sodium sulphate may be mined using solution mining. The remaining water is allowed to run back into the lake. When the ponded solution cools in autumn, differential crystallization occurs. Sodium sulphate crystals are the first to drop out. Some companies mine sodium sulphate directly from the lake bottom in the winter.