Industrial Uses of Salt

Sodium chloride, or salt, is frequently used to flavour food. However, salt applications do much more than improve our food’s flavour. Industrial salt is among the most important and often used raw materials in various sectors. The market has a huge demand for industrial salt supply because of the variety of uses in industry. In this article, we will look into industrial uses of salt.

Salt for De-icing

De-icing is one of the most frequently used applications for salt. Roads, sidewalks, and other surfaces can become dangerous if an icy layer is formed. To prevent or postpone ice formation, de-icing road salt is applied to the roadways to form a brine layer before the surface is frozen.

If there is already snow on the sidewalks or roads, adding salt can help melt the snow and prevent the formation of ice by lowering the freezing point of the water. Industrial salt is an important commodity for maintaining the safety of the roads and avoiding accidents.

Salt in the Oil Industry

In the Oil Industry, Salt is added to mud as drilling fluid, which helps as lubricant and coolant for the drill head. Also, salt makes oil drilling more safe and more efficient by increasing soil density. Salt can also serve as diverting agents, flocculants, additives, acidizing specialty dispersants, and stabilizers in the oil industry.

Salt in the Energy Industry

The energy industry serves as another example of the uses for salt. Industrial salt is needed for producing energy, such as solar power. This aids in maintaining a specific salinity level needed for certain reactions.

Salt in the Chemical Industry

Industrial salt is also commonly used in the chemical industry to produce various chemicals. It can be used as a raw material when making chemicals like caustic soda, chlorine, and soda ash. Additionally, liquid sodium, sodium nitrate, metallic sodium, sodium bicarbonate, sodium sulphate, and other products can be produced using industrial salt.

Salt for Electrolysis

As previously discussed, industrial salt is used to produce chlorine. You should know chlorine is a key ingredient in many hygiene and cleaning products. Sodium chloride is used as raw material for chlorine synthesis, which starts with the electrolysis of a saturated salt solution.

Salt in the Metal Industry

In the metal industry, companies commonly use salt in secondary aluminum production and in processing several metals to remove impurities.

Salt for Water Treatment

Water treatment is the procedure that eliminates impurities and unwanted elements from the industrial water supply, as well as makes it safer for people to drink and use for irrigation purposes. To remove hardness in water, water-softening salt is used to remove minerals like calcium and magnesium. Dishwasher salt and regeneration salt are two examples of salt used for water purification for commercial and residential purposes.

Salt in the Textile Industry

Textile industries use salt very frequently to fix the batches of dye. By using salt, the textile industry attains standardized dye.

Salt in the Pharma Industry

Salt is widely used in pharma to prepare saline solutions and capsule production. Salt is used in the pharma industry to produce products like contact solutions, intravenous formulas, and many more.

Salt in the Soap Industry

Industrial salt is frequently used as an additive filler in solvents and detergents. Sodium chloride is also frequently found in soap. Salt is used as a filler to help the chemicals separate quickly.

Salt in the Pigment Industry

Industrial salt is used as a grinding agent and filler in the pigment industry during manufacturing.

Salt in the Food Industry

In the food industry, salt is used to cure and preserve meat. Curing has been a simple and effective way of preserving food for thousands of years. When the salt is applied to the meat, the moisture is removed to prevent the growth of the bacteria and make it stay for a long time.

Salt in Agriculture

Salt is also used in the agriculture sector. For example, silage is a fodder preservation method that uses spontaneous lactic acid fermentation under anaerobic conditions. In many countries, silages are used as animal feed, and salt is used to preserve fodder or grass, speed up acidification, and prolong shelf life. It prevents bacterial development and maintains the food’s nutritious value.

Salt as a Dust Control Solution

People most frequently use calcium chloride to control dust. It reduces dust generation and spread by absorbing moisture from the air. Even on extremely hot and dry days, calcium chloride remains liquid due to its higher concentration. Magnesium chloride is used to eliminate moisture from the air and slow down the migration of dust particles, stabilizing the road and making it possible for the dust to adhere to it.

Conclusion

As you can observe, salt’s applications in the industry range from food processing to chemical production and water treatment. Canada Salt Group Ltd is a reliable salt supplier in Canada and has a wide range of salt products with multiple delivery and pickup options. If you are a business looking for high-quality salt products, contact us for a free estimate.