Sodium Chloride Derivatives and Miscellaneous Inorganics

Abstract

This very important chemical, which is known by many names such as salt, common salt, rock salt, grainer salt, and brine solution, is not included in the top 50 because it is really a naturally occurring mineral. We sometimes forget this because, although it is a mineral, it occurs as a very pure chemical and is readily isolated. If it were included in the top 50 list, it would be near number 1 with sulfuric acid, since close to 90 billion lb are processed each year in the United States. Salt mining must be nearly as old as humankind. It has been used as an object of worship, as a medium of exchange, and as a political weapon with a distribution dependent on high taxes. It is the oldest inorganic chemical industry. Sodium hydroxide, chlorine, hydrochloric acid, and titanium dioxide are all top 50 chemicals that are made from salt or salt derivatives.