What is Salt Mean ?

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Salt is an ionic compound composed of cations and anions, thus forming a neutral compound (without ion charge). The compound of salt formed from acids and bases reaction of acids and bases.

The positive ion and negative ions  components may be an inorganic compounds such as Chloride (Cl-) or organic compounds such as Acetate (CH₃COO-), monoatomic ions such as Fluoride (F-), and polyatomic ions such as Sulfate (SO₄^2-).

The main ingredient of kitchen salt is Sodium Chloride (NaCl), chemically there are several types of salt, hydrolyzed salts and forming hydroxide ions when dissolved in water is called as Salt Base, and hydrolyzed salts and form hydronium ions in water is called as acid salts, and then Neutral salt (ordinary) is neither acid salt nor alkaline salt. The solution of salt in water is electrolyte solution, where a solution that can conduct electrical current.

Traditional Salt Manufacture

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Salt is an important commodity for society, salt is not only used for consumption but salt is also used in industrial materials, such as leather tanning, offshore oil drilling, etc. According to Geospatial Information Agency, Indonesia is second country of longest coastline in world, the coastline reach 99,093 kilometers after Canada. But ironically, to meet of salt necessity, most of Indonesia must be filled with imported salt. Indonesia salt farmers in produce salt with traditional way. How they work ?

There are two ways of traditional salt making process, namely evaporation methods by sunlight, boiling techniques and TUF method, In the process of making salt by sunlight evaporation, usually salt farmers produce the salt by making evaporation plots to get salt crystals. They evaporate seawater that flows into the plots to produce high salt quality about 20-25 Be (Baume meter), after sea water evaporated, the salt crystals form in the plot. They usual use an instinct, and rarely using baume meter tool.

While boiling process, the salt making by using coarse salt, then this salt dissolved into water, after it dissolved the solution filtered to get clear solution, after water solution boiled with embers about 3-4 hours, the salt crystals was formed, the difference between boiling method and sunlight evaporation is the boiling sat salt  has a finer crystal.

TUF Methode

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TUF Method is a salt production system by passing seawater into reservoir pond, then proceed with filtration using fibers nature, coconut shell and zeolite, then after seawater filtered into shelter pond that has been coated black plastic. The coconut shells here has a function as activated carbon or chemicals to absorb  impurities carried in sea water, its purpose in order to produce natural white salt. This process is more perfect than process of traditional sunlight evaporation.

The pure sea waters with densities between 1°Be piped with pumps into the first reservoir, Sea water is deposited until the density reaches 3 ° Be. then, the water flowed with the pump from first reservoir to the 2nd pool. The salt water flow through big UTF for evaporation, as well as evaporate impurities that contaminate the water can be filtered and make the water clean. Water in the 2nd shelter in the setting with height between 3-5 cm, then water is measured with Boumeter until its density shows 12°Be. After undergoing process at shelter 2, water is flowed to the 3rd shelter plot through UTF Small, the purpose of which is to facilitate the evaporation of seawater to obtain a viscosity of 20°B, from the 3rd shelter, the water is flowed to the Bunker with a density of about 20-25°Be, water flow from shelter 1 to crystal table takes about 14-15 days, faster than traditional salt making process.

Explaining of Evaporation Process

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The salt-making areas are made in storied plots, Calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg) are considerable elements in seawater, to increase impulse levels of NaCl should be precipitated, calcium and magnesium are deposits form sulfate, carbonate and oxalate salts, in the crystallization of carbonate, oxalate, and sulfate salts, then chloride salt formed.In crystallization process, all contained substances must be precipitated, not only sodium chloride formed but also some impurities substances, this process is called as total crystallization.

Washing process can reduce impurities in the salt, this process can be done by combination of washing and rapid dissolution when salt processing, whereas impurities removal of salt product can be done by chemical process, that is by reacting salt with Na₂CO₃ and NaOH to form precipitate CaCO₃ and Mg(OH)₃

MgSO4 + 2NaOH => Mg(OH)2 + Na2SO4

CaCl2 + Na2SO4 => CaSO4 + 2NaCl

MgCl2 + 2NaOH => Mg(OH)2+ 2NaCl

CaCl2 + Na2CO3 => CaCO3  + 2NaCl

Washing process aims to increase the content of NaCl and reduce the element Mg, Ca, SO₄ and dirt, the cleaner the salt washing water used will produce cleaner salt laundry.

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Conclusion

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The process of making salt is separating process of substance mixture , where the substances can be separated based on differences boiling point. When the sea water evaporated the crystal salt will form because the solvent has evaporated, Generally, traditionally salt product have to reprocessed for salt consumption and for industrial salt.

Source :

Salt Wiki, Salt 2

Open Pan Salt Making Wiki

TUF Method

TUFSalt Technology

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