the many uses of salt
Water Conditioning
Highway Deicing
Agriculture
Food Grade Salt
Industrial Chemicals
Most people probably think of salt as simply that white granular food seasoning found in a salt shaker. In fact, only 6% of all salt manufactured goes into the food we eat.
It is said we use salt in more than 14,000 different ways and goes into the making of a multitude of end products as varied as plastic, paper, glass, polyester, rubber and fertilisers to household bleach, soaps, detergents and dyes. The single biggest market for salt is as a feedstock in the production of industrial chemicals. Over 110 million tonnes a year is used to manufacture chlorine, caustic soda and many other industrial and inorganic chemicals and allied products.
Winter highway maintenance is another major market for salt. Highways play a vital role in assuring personal and commercial mobility. Keeping these channels of communication open and clear through the winter months has a direct effect on the overall economy, particularly in colder continental climates.
Everyone uses salt, directly and indirectly and the illustration to the right shows how usage breaks down across the five major markets.
