EVAPORATED SALTS

Salt is born of the purest of parents: the sun and the sea. Pythagoras (580 500 BC)

I. SALT TECHNOLOGIES
There are several Technologies for salt extraction and salt production, however it could be
condensate into three (3) technologies:

1.1. Rock Salt or Mined Salt

Mined Salt or Rock Salt is obtained by extracting salt from underground salt layers or domes.
The techniques used are standard mining operations, open pit mining, etc. Salt purity depends
on the purity of the natural salt deposits. Mined rock salt is typically used as Industrial Salt and a
Road Salt Deicer.

1.2. Salt Solution Mining

Solution Mining is obtained by pumping fresh water from a natural lake into underground salt
deposits. By flowing the water through salt caverns, the fresh water is saturated in NaCl and is
then pumped to brine deposits on the surface. The brine may then be treated with chemicals to
eliminate impurities for the production of refined salt. Then, the brine is fed into multiple-effect
vessels made of monel alloy where the water is evaporated by using steam and vacuum
technology. The end product is crystallized salt. Because the use of steam, power and
chemicals, this is the most expensive method to produce salt. A variant of this method is
Mechanical Vapor Recompression (MVR) applicable when the economical balance shows that
electricity is less expensive than using steam.

1.3. Solar Salt

Solar Evaporation is the process of producing salt from
seawater or salty brines in a series of ponds by using solar
energy. The process begins by pumping seawater or salty
brine into the concentration area, where the brine flows
continuously through evaporator-ponds until reaching
saturation. Then the saturated brine is fed into the
crystallizer-ponds where the salt is deposited. The
crystallized salt is then harvested, washed, stockpiled and
processed. Solar salt is typically used as industrial salt, and
as a raw material for chlor- alkali plants. Recently it has
become more recognized as an ideal gourmet salt due to its
natural flavor. Solar Evaporation is the most economical way
to produce salt, however it requires acceptable weather
conditions, high evaporation, low rainfall and suitable land
for ponds construction with negligible or acceptable
seepage.

Salt evaporation pond in Ile de R, France

Natural salt evaporation ponds at Pedra de

Lume, Sal island, Cape Verde

II. SOLAR SALT TECHNOLOGY

Salt evaporation ponds, also called salterns or salt
pans, are shallow artificial ponds designed to produce
salts from sea water or other brines. The seawater or
brine is fed into large ponds and water is drawn out
through natural evaporation which allows the salt to be
subsequently harvested. The ponds also provide a
productive resting and feeding ground for many species
of waterbirds, which may include endangered species.
The ponds are commonly separated by levees
The salt works north of Pondicherry,India

Contemporary solar evaporation salt pans on

the island of Lanzarote
Solar evaporation salt pans on the island of Bima, Indonesia

Solar Salt Technology is oriented, but not limited, to the production of Salt by solar evaporation
of brine containing Sodium Chloride from Sea Water, Lake Brine or Underground Brine. Byproducts, including potassium, magnesium, chlorides, sulfates salts, etc. could also be obtained
by solar evaporation of the bitterns. Bitterns is the remaining brine after the sodium chloride has
been crystallized. Solar salt production requires flat impermeable areas for the construction of
the solar ponds. In areas with more than normal acceptable seepage, lining could be used. High
evaporation and low rainfall are the ideal weather conditions.

2.1. Solar Salt Process Description

The Sea Water or Brine is fed and continuously concentrated in a series of solar evaporation
ponds until it reaches the Sodium Chloride saturation point. Some small amounts of iron and
carbonate salt crystallizes in the concentration area between 3.5 to 16 Be. The major amount of
Calcium Sulfate crystallizes between 13 to 23.5 Be. The remaining small amount of Calcium
Sulfate is deposited in the crystallizers as impurities of the Sodium Chloride.
A natural ecological system is developed in the ponds and varies as a function of the density.
The ecosystem consists of fish, crustaceans, sea grass, seaweed, brine shrimp, brine fly, microalgae, bacteria, protozoa, halophilic bacteria, etc. The natural mat of organic material, built on
the floor, helps in reducing seepage.

The saturated brine from the concentration area is transferred to the pre-crystallizers, pickle
pond, to feed the crystallizers where 4 to 6 inches per year of salt is crystallized. Each
crystallizer is drained and harvested once or twice per year. The salt is harvested and
transported to the Washing Plant.
The Washing Operation consists of using controlled saturated brine with low content impurities
to remove the superficial impurities of the salt. A crushing operation could be added in order to
expose internal impurities to washing, if coarse salt is not required. The impurities removed are
insoluble, calcium, magnesium, sulfate and organic. The washed salt is stockpiled for further
processing and/or shipping. The salt is processed on site or shipped by truck, rail and/or vessel
to its final destination.

2.2. Solar Salt Technology

Solar technology applies the required techniques for designing the correct ratio of areas
required as Concentrators and Crystallizers for obtaining high productivity of saturated brine,
high productivity of salt and salt quality. Solar technology aids in reducing the production cost
and increasing production and salt quality. Lower production cost and higher salt quality are
those elements needed to aggressively compete in the salt market.
High salt productivity and salt quality from the solar salt operation is obtained by implementing
an efficient brine management to optimize saturated brine production from the concentration
area and optimize salt production in the crystallization area.
The quality of the solar salt is defined by content of sodium chloride, production of premium
coarse salt and salt whiteness. An efficient brine management in concentrators and crystallizers
and an effective washing operation generates the production of high quality salt.
Solar Salt competes with mine salt and evaporated salt. It has been demonstrated that a solar
salt operation can produce the various types of salt that mines and/or evaporated plants can
supply with the added advantage of a low production costs.

2.3. Bitterns and By-Products

The remaining brine discharged from the crystallizers is called bitterns. Normally the bitterns
contain salts of potassium, magnesium, bromine, sulfates, chlorides, etc. By using solar
evaporation techniques and process, by-products-salts are crystallized by fractional
crystallization, mixing of brines, salt leaching, solar re-crystallization, etc. These operations are
much less expensive than the conventional methods to produce, say potassium sulfate and/or
potassium chloride. If a market is available, some by-products could be also economically
recovered.

2.4. Typical Operations Involved in a Solar Salt Operation

Pond System Brine Management

Solar Salt Production
Harvesting
Washing
Iodization
Quality Control and Research
Salt Stockpiling and Reclaiming
Ship-loading

 Solar Salt Processing & Packaging

Warehousing & Salt Products Distribution

III. SOLAR SALT - TYPICAL FLOW SHEET

References

1. Adshead, Samuel A.M. Salt and Civilization. MacMillan, 1992

2. Athearn, Nicole D.; Takekawa, John Y.; and Shinn, Joel M. (2009) Avian response to early tidal
salt marsh restoration at former commercial salt evaporation ponds in San Francisco Bay,
California, USA, Natural Resources and Environmental Issues: Vol. 15, Article 14.

http://digitalcommons.usu.edu/nrei/vol15/iss1/14/

3. Cargill
Salt
San
Francisco
Bay,
The
http://www.cargill.com/sf_bay/saltpond_ecosystem.htm

Salt

Pond

Ecosystem,

4. Lac Business Group, Inc. - Salt Technology & Engineering,, RR 3 - 79 Maple Road, Dalton, PA
18414 USA http://www.lacsolarsalt.com/Brochure-08.pdf .
5. Zhu Lixiang, Sun Juju, (1995) Function of saltponds ecosystem and its management method,
Sea-lake salt and chemical industry, 24(1)
,
.