Salt Brine vs. Rock Salt

Origins

• Salt has been used by humans for thousands of years; the earliest salt works date back to 6000 B.C. The mining of rock salt began in the 19th century; the production of salt brine goes back many centuries, as brine has been used as a healing unguent and food preservative since ancient times.

Description

• As its name suggests, rock salt is a rock rather than mineral. It is the common name for "halite," a form of sodium chloride that is found in dried-up areas of seas and lakes. It is usually white or transparent; however, it can take on other colors if it contains impurities. Salt brine is the combination of sodium chloride with water, and it is in liquid form.

How It's Made

• Rock salt is usually mined with a pneumatic drill. The lumps of salt are collected and taken to a factory to be crushed and treated with an anti-caking agent. This stops the salt from sticking together so it is ready for use as soon as the bad weather starts. Salt brine is made by using a mixture of 23 percent sodium chloride to 77 percent water, and it is then frozen at -6 degrees Fahrenheit.

Uses

• Both salt brine and rock salt are used for both de-icing and preventing the buildup of ice on the roadways. Putting salt brine or rock salt on the roads prevents the ice particles from sticking together. If ice has already formed, it causes it to disintegrate because salt has a lower freezing point than water.