[paul cotter (OP)]

Of course not, but bear with me. Recently the boss had the gogglebox on but was not watching it- it was running a programme called "abandoned engineering" on one of the freesat channels. I watched it for a short while and was absolutely gobsmacked by what I heard. An educated gentleman(an archaeologist I think but could be wrong) stated that potassium chloride was madly explosive which was popular with terrorists and was the reason for the extreme danger of potash mines!! I can only think he meant potassium chlorate but this is a man made substance and is definitely not a mined product- abandoned mines was the subject matter. If I was to pontificate on a subject I was not familiar with I would at least do some research first.

[Bored chemist]

And...?

On an unrelated note.
https://ntrs.nasa.gov/api/citations/20190028297/downloads/20190028297.pdf

[paul cotter (OP)]

I had heard of the perchlorate on mars before but you don't have to go so far to find some. It also occurs in Chile saltpetre, natural sodium nitrate found in the Atacama. How it could arise naturally I have no idea.

[alancalverd]

A mixture of NaNO₃ and KNO₃ is a naturally-occurring substance associated with mammalian urine and feces, particularly bat guano and human pee. Time was that its use in the wool trade was so important that barrels of piss were bought and sold in Yorkshire, long before a certain brewery tried marketing it as lager. Genuine Harris tweed still smells like the back yard of the rugby club.

[paul cotter (OP)]

At times of war in England urine was required to be handed over to the crown for saltpetre production. Prior to the Haber ammonia process the only bulk supply of nitrate was either Chile saltpetre or "homemade" via urine.

[vhfpmr]

Another use for urine here:
https://twitter.com/twitrkshukla/status/1825936930334454106

[set fair]

At times of war in England urine was required to be handed over to the crown for saltpetre production.

Talk about taking the piss.