USES OF SALTSPrepared by:

Angeilyn P. Liwanag

Most people probably think of salt as simply a white granular food seasoning. In fact, only 6% of all salt manufactured goes into food. Apparently we use salt in more than 14,000 different ways from the making of products as varied as plastic, paper, glass, polyester, rubber and fertilizers to household bleach, soaps, detergents and dyes.

Everyone uses salt, directly or indirectly.

  Salt is crucial for many industries. Its compounds make it one of the most important materials in the chemical industry, since more than 50% of the chemical products depend on it at a stage of their manufacture.

It is also used in the manufacturing of thousands of other commodities including glass, paper, rubber, and textiles as well as in water softening systems for industry and domestic use. Furthermore, it is used as a de-icing agent and as most commonly known food ingredient. For more detailed information of the different uses of salt, please see the section below.

Common salt, or sodium chloride, the chemical compound NaCl. Salt occurs naturally in many parts of the world as the mineral halite and as mixed evaporates in salt lakes.

In Old English it’s sealt, in Dutch zout, German salz and in French, of course, sel. It’s a word that is deceptively simple yet full of a rich and complex history both social and geologic. Salt, in English from it’s Indo-European roots, is a stately combination of the Latin, sal and the Greek, hals

What is Salt?

Some of the earliest evidence of salt processing dates to around 8,000 years ago, when people living in Romania were boiling Spring water to extract the salts; a salt work in china has been found which dates to approximately the same period. Salt was prized by the ancient Hebrews, the Greeks, the Romans, the Byzantines, the Hittites and the Egyptians.

Who discovered salts?

Salt became an important article of trade and was transported by boat across the Mediterranean Sea, along specially built salt roads, and across the Sahara in camel caravans. The scarcity and universal need for salt has led nations to go to war over salt and use it to raise tax revenues. Salt is also used in religious ceremonies and has other cultural significance.

Table salt, often called "cooking salt" or just “salt", is widely used in cooking to add flavor to food.

It is acompound of two chemical elements, sodium (symbol: Na) and chlorine (Cl). This is why it has the chemical name "sodium chloride" (symbol: NaCl). NaCl is an ionic solid which accounts for its high melting point and conductivity in solution.

What is the use of Table salt?

In history, salt was very expensive. Salt was used to keep food from going bad. It was even used as money in some places.

Crystals of sodium chloride are almost perfect cubes.

Thank you and God bless