The ubiquitous shaker next to pepper contains sodium chloride, which adds flavor to your next meal. However, this is just the tip of the iceberg of what salt can do. Food ingredient supplier Bell Chem wishes to share the myriad industrial uses of industrial salt, from gas exploration to water treatment. 

Cleaning and Safety

As far as chemicals go, salt is about as versatile as it gets. Here are a few of the ways salt is used to promote cleaning and safety across industries: 

• Detergents: Soaps, detergents, and solvents contain salt as a filler. When several chemicals are present, salt separates the chemicals so they can perform their specific tasks.

• Chlorine production: Sodium chloride’s main industrial use is in the production of chlorine, a feedstock for plastics and other chemicals.

• Pool maintenance: Pools and spas are more frequently being outfitted with saltwater systems, which gives the same water sanitation as chlorine while reducing chlorine levels. 

• Water treatment: Salt flocculates calcium and magnesium, which softens water.

• Road maintenance: Industrial salt is an inexpensive method for controlling ice or melting ice on roads since it lowers water’s freezing point. As roads are maintained or constructed, salt added to soil binds it more tightly for a firmer surface. 

• Food and beverage: In processed meats, salt enriches color, controls bacterial growth, binds sausage, and softens meat. For breads and dairy products, salt coordinates fermentation rates and enhances flavor. Flour contains salt to strengthen gluten and heighten flavor. 

Manufacturing

Salt tends to show up in unexpected places — even heavy manufacturing. Here are several ways salt is used in manufacturing: 

• Metallurgy: Metal processing creates abundant impurities. Salt removes the impurities during refining or smelting of aluminum, beryllium, copper, steel, vanadium, and uranium. 

• Pharmaceuticals: Saline solution obviously contains salt, but so do capsules. Intravenous fluids flowing into the human body often attempt to match the body’s content of saline for ease of dispersal; equalizing IV fluids with normal human saline levels accomplishes this task. 

• Chemicals: As a feedstock, industrial salt eventually becomes caustic soda, soda ash, sodium sulfate, sodium carbonate, hydrochloric acid, sodium bicarbonate, and chlorine, to name a few.

• Oil and gas drilling: Salt increases the density of drilling fluids and soil, which increases safety during the drilling process. Salt behaves as both a coolant and lubricant for the drilling head. Industrial salt also expedites concrete drying and acts as a flocculant to remove impurities. 

• Rubber synthesizing: In combination with sulfuric acid and water, industrial salt coagulates latex, thereby separating rubber from latex, to create neoprene and white rubber. 

• Textiles: In a solution with water, salt flocculates contaminants to cleanse and purify textile fibers. Industrial salt increases the uptake of dyes, acts as a filler for pigments, and is used as a grinding agent. Salt is used in the production of glass and polyester. 

• Solar power: Industrial salt acts as a catalyst for many ionic reactions in the production of solar energy. 

• Tanning: Salt reduces moisture and bacteria in the leather working process. 

Bell Chem is a food ingredient supplier based in Longwood, FL (just north of Orlando) with hundreds of products stocked in their 50,000+ square-foot warehouse, including industrial salt. You can expect the highest quality products, expedited shipping options for maximum efficiency, and unrivaled personalized customer service. Let our knowledgeable and friendly customer service representatives and accounting staff personalize all your needs by either calling 407-339-BELL (2355) or by sending us an online message.