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Sodium chloride (salt) is one of the largest-volume inorganic raw materials used by the chemical industry. The major chemical products of salt—chlorine and caustic soda—are in turn used in the manufacture of many chemical products, both inorganic and organic. Salt is also used directly for snow and ice control, as a mineral in animal diets, as a food preservative and flavoring agent, as a reagent for water softening and in many industrial processes.
In 2004, world production was approximately 212 million metric tons. While most countries produce salt, the United States is the leading producer, with 45.1 million metric tons or 21% of the world total. Other major producers include China, Germany, India, Canada and Australia.
Salt is the most common and readily available nonmetallic mineral in the world. Accurate estimates of salt reserves are not available because of its abundance. The world’s oceans contain an inexhaustible supply of salt. Identified resources in the United States alone, estimated at over 55 trillion metric tons, would be sufficient to meet the entire world’s demand for over 100,000 years even at use rates higher than today’s current world consumption of over 200 million metric tons per year. The following graph shows supply/demand for major regions as a percentage of the total for all regions:
Most countries have the ability to produce salt; however, because of the low value of salt relative to the cost of transportation, the determining factor in the economics of salt supply is typically proximity to the point of use. For consumers, the most important consideration is the use of an acceptable grade of purity at the lowest delivered cost.
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