Salt is the feedstock of the chlor-alkali industy (see these great graphics illustrating the "chlorine tree" ( 1 2 ) and used for the manufacture of chlorine ( 1 2 ) caustic soda and many other industrial and inorganic chemicals, and allied products. Chemical production is a major market for salt. During 1996, the most recent year for which data are available, 22.4 million metric tons of salt (NaCl) were consumed by the chemical industry. The chemical industry is the largest single user of salt (dry salt and salt in brine) in the United States, representing about 42% of total salt consumption during 1996. More than 88% of the salt used for chemical manufacture was salt in brine, which is produced by solution mining underground halite deposits. This "captive brine" is produced by chemical companies solely for use in making their products. The remaining 12% (2.6 million metric tons) was "dry" salt produced by rock salt mining, solar evaporation, and mechanical evaporation of solution-mined brine.
A salt bridge is an important component of an electrochemical cell. Electrolysis ( 1 2 3 4 5 ) is used to break sodium chloride into its component ions and to make chlorine ( 1 2 ), sodium hydroxide or caustic soda, sodium chlorite and soda chlorate, for example. Chlorine (Cl2) and caustic soda (NaOH), also known as sodium hydroxide are the two primary chemical products made from salt. Ninety-five percent of salt used by the chemical industry is in the manufacture of chorine and caustic soda. Chlorine has many uses, including keeping drinking water safe. Gaseous chlorine (Cl2) and caustic soda (NaOH) are produced when an electric current passes through saturated salt brine. Chlorine is an effective disinfectant and bleach. Downstream, vinyl chloride and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and their derivatives are produced from chlorine. Caustic soda is used in pulp processing, and to make cellulose chemicals and their derivatives. Sodium chlorite is used in the textile industry. Other chemicals manufactured from salt are metallic sodium and sodium chlorate. Until 1986, salt was used to produce synthetic soda ash (NaCO3) in the U.S. by the Solvay process. Soda ash is now obtained naturally from trona mines.Due to security concerns with the transportation of chlorine in tanker trucks and rail cars, including chemical terrorism (aka "toxic trains"), some chlorine users are exploring the use of on-site chlorinators ( 1 2 3 4 )
For further information you may wish to visit the Chemical Industry Home Page, the Chlorine Chemistry Council (don't miss their Science Center), Chlorine Institute, EuroChlor and Canadian Chlorine Coordinating Committee. European chemical production can be tracked online. Note our disclaimer.
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