What is Rock Salt?
Noun: Common salt occurring naturally as a mineral; halite
Deicing Salt or Rock Salt is a rock rather than a mineral so making it different to the salt you find in your salt pot in the kitchen.
Where Does Rock Salt Come From?
Rock Salt can be found all over the world. It is typically formed by evaporation of salty water like seawater. Salt normally forms in deposits ringing dry lakebeds, inland marginal seas and in enclosed bays and estuaries’ in arid regions of the world. In times gone by very large areas of water evaporated and made large amounts of rock salt. Marine sediments would then bury the salt; halite is less dense than the marine sediments so it would push its way up through the sediments creating a dome like structure.
What is Rock Salt Used For?
Most Rock Salt is used for table salt, which is commercially mined and prepared for human consumption. Some of it is mined and used for de icing purposes on roads. Rock Salt requires small amounts to work to a highly efficiently. Deicing Salt has a low environmental impact when it is being produced and when used.
An interesting fact about rock salt for you is that these salt formations are an important part of some of the techniques used to locate new oil and gas resources.
Deicing Rock Salt can be applied where there is already snow and ice however it is more efficient if it is applied before this happens. Lets hope the weather forecasts are efficient! The salt aids a creation of brine that melts the ice quickly (find out more on why salt melts ice).
There are vast amounts of Rock Salt available however it must be remembered that despite the planned logistics and stock levels transportation are expensive and inflexible. Due to this fact alternatives to Rock Salt were created however these can be an expensive alternative and often the large quantities of Rock Salt needed cannot be catered for.
Rock Salt does not expire and can be kept in large amounts in a dry shelter. It is easy to work with and a variety of accessories can be purchased to spread Rock Salt evenly to avoid wastage and used to it’s most efficient.
Rock Salt is a non-toxic product and requires no such safety clothing to handle it; it will not damage skin but can be a corrosive substance if used on metallic items.