High Quality Industrial Salt

Product Details

Chemical Feedstock

The greatest single use for salt is as a feedstock for the production of chemicals. The chlor-alkali industry uses salt, primarily as salt in brine from captive brine wells, to produce chlorine and caustic soda. Demand for salt in to produce chemicals fell from 25 million metric tons in 1974 to a low of 16.7 million metric tons in 1992. However, chemical use rebounded in 1994 to 18.4 million metric tons. Much of the decreased demand for chlorine was attributed to environmental concerns about dioxins. Salt is also used to make sodium chlorate and metallic sodium by electrolysis and, sodium sulfate and hydrochloric acid by reacting with sulfuric acid.

Salt for Human Nutrition

All animals, humans included, require both sodium and chloride for life and health. Since the body cannot manufacture either, they are "essential" nutrients. While developed countries dedicate most of their salt to chemical production, developing countries often use most of their salt for human and animal nutrition.

Salt for Animal Nutrition

Livestock, poultry and other animals do not always receive adequate amounts of sodium and chloride from forages and other feeds. They need supplemental salt as part of a nutritionally balanced diet to remain healthy, disease free, and to achieve optimum growth and reproduction rates. Because animals have a natural, definitive appetite for salt - they will eat only a certain amount - it is used to ensure adequate intake of less palatable nutrients and as a means of limiting feed intake. Salt can be mixed with feed or fed free-choice, and is an excellent carrier for trace minerals, It is produced plain or as trace mineralized salt, in 50 lb blocks, smaller spools, and as loose salt, commonly known as mixing salt.