Is Salt A Mineral?
Salt, also known as Sodium Chloride, is one of the important minerals in our daily life. Salt contains 39.34% of Sodium and 60.66% of Chloride by weight. Sodium is a volatile metal and reacts violently in the presence of water, and on the other side, Chlorine is dangerous greenish-colored gas. The combination of these two metals makes up salt which is the essential mineral for human life. Salt has been regarded as an essential mineral from ancient times, and it is people who have migrated to places searching for salt deposits. Most developed cities are formed near salt deposits, and wars are fought to protect or conquer salt supplies. In ancient times salt was seen as equal to gold, and more than 110 countries are now producing salt. Read the article to know how salt can be known as a mineral and the various forms of salt used in daily life.
What Is Salt?
Salt is an essential mineral for humans and animals. The common form of salt is table salt used in seasoning and is generally of the highest purity. Table salt remains free-flowing even when exposed to the atmosphere, and small quantities of magnesium silicate, tricalcium phosphate, or sodium aluminosilicate are added to maintain the free flow. In some areas, Iodine is also added to compensate for the deficiency of Iodine in the diet.
What Is A Mineral?
Any material can be called a mineral if it satisfies these conditions.
- Mineral is Organic
- It is naturally occurring
- It has a definite chemical composition
- Has crystal structure
The fourth point is the most important one as a mineral should be in crystal form. A crystal structure is a continuous arrangement of one or more elements. This is simply a fancy way of saying that minerals are composed of elements stacked in an orderly and neat fashion.
Where Is Salt Obtained?
Rock salt is mined from underground deposits found as horizontally bedded formations in New York and Ohio or as salt domes. Solar salt is obtained from seawater along coastal lines and from landlocked bodies of natural saline water like the Great Salt Lake. Solar salt is restricted to places with high evaporation and low precipitation.
Salt brine is obtained by injecting water into drilled wells to dissolve the salt. The insoluble minerals are left behind while forming underground caverns. The saturated solution of salt is pumped to the surface and treated to remove any soluble impurities.
Can Salt Be Called As A Mineral?
As per the definition, any substance can be called a mineral if it satisfies some essential properties. Salt is naturally occurring, inorganic, has a definite chemical composition, and has a crystal structure. Table salt is a simple example of any proper mineral.
Where To Buy Rock Salt?
Salt is the most used mineral in our daily life and has many uses. Salt is used in the food industry, and another primary use is ice and snow removal. Pure salt is required for removing ice from pavements and roads to avoid inconvenience for vehicles and people. Canada Salt is the supplier of rock salt all over Canada and North America. Contact us for more details.
