Where Does Road Salt Come From?
Salt was first used for snow and ice removal in the year 1938 on an experimental basis. A granular form of Sodium Chloride was used, and by 1941 about 5000 tons of salt were produced to meet the needs of removing ice and snow. Today about 10 to 20 million tons of salt is used every winter season to keep the roads and walkways safe.
What Is Road Salt?
Road salt or Rock salt is a Sodium Chloride chemical, abbreviated as NaCl, and is a naturally mined mineral. The table is salt used in households is the purified form of rock salt. Typically road salt is gray or brownish and is generally mined using machines. Additives are added to rock salt to prevent caking and also ease of delivery.
How Does Road Salt Work?
Water freezes to form ice at Zero degrees. In the winter season, ice and snow get accumulated on the roads and walkways, making it difficult for people to walk or drive vehicles. Road salt lowers the freezing temperature of the water and stops the formation of ice. A 10 percentage salt solution freezes at -6 ° C, and a 20 percent salt solution freezes at -16 ° C. The key to making this possible is that there should be at least a small amount of water for the salt to work. So trucks loaded with a solution mixed with water and salt, called brine, is used for the deicing process.
Where Does The Salt Come From?
The salt used on roads is called rock salt, and the grains are much bigger than that of table salt. Table salt is grounded and purified to be used for household purposes. Typically the salt used for cooking purposes is produced by evaporating seawater.
Rock salt used as a deicer is mined from various mines all over the world. Notable mines are near Cleveland, under Detroit, and in New York State, Kansas, and Louisiana.
The other primary salt source is the Chelsea terminal, where the salt is mined by various countries, namely Mexico, Egypt, Ireland, Australia. Hundreds of tons of salt are shipped from the terminal, with many workers and trains working steadily throughout the year to produce the required salt. Salt is mined from the crust of the earth and does not run out of supply. The Boston mine produces nearly 80 tons of salt.
Conclusion
Road salt is the most economical way of removing ice and snow in the winter season. There are many mines around the world producing the required salt for snow and ice removal. Canada Salt is the trusted and reliable supplier of bulk road salt all over Ontario. Call us for a free estimate.
