Salt and its importance in industry

Salt and its importance in industry

The ubiquitous shaker next to the peppers contains sodium chloride, which adds flavor to your next dish. However, this is just the tip of the iceberg of what salt can do. Today we will talk about the countless industrial uses of industrial salt, from gas exploration to water purification.

As far as chemicals go, salt is about as versatile as it gets.

Almost 60% of global production is for industrial applications, especially in the development of industrially synthesized sodium carbonate (Na2CO3) and chlor-alkali used in the chemical industry.

Global demand for salt for this type of process has been growing since the Industrial Revolution. In some cases, the use of salt to produce chlorine has been reduced due to concerns about the formation of dioxins as by-products.

The main industrial use of sodium chloride is in the production of chlorine, raw materials for plastics and other chemicals.

Industrial salt is an inexpensive method for controlling ice or melting ice on roads because it lowers the freezing point of water. When roads are maintained or built, salt added to the soil binds it more firmly, making the surface harder.

Obviously, salt is one of the most used compounds in the production of chlorine gas and sodium metal. In the pharmaceutical industry it is used in the production of infusions, medicines and saline solutions.

In solution with water, salt flocculates pollutants, cleaning textile fibers. Due to its special properties, salt is also used in many different ways in commercial operations, for example as a regenerating salt for water softening. It is necessary to filter hard water from minerals.

In addition, salt is an important component of drilling fluids for good drilling in oil and gas exploration.

Many chemicals that consume most of the world's production are produced directly or indirectly from salt.

In recent years, the topic of brine and its effects on the environment has become increasingly important to both water treatment specialists and environmentalists.