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Sodium chloride / ˌ s oʊ d i ə m ˈ k l ɔːr aɪ d /, [8] commonly known as edible salt, is an ionic compound with the chemical formula NaCl, representing a 1:1 ratio of sodium and chlorine ions. It is transparent or translucent, brittle, hygroscopic , and occurs as the mineral halite .
Humans have processed common salt (sodium chloride) for over 8000 years, using it first as a food seasoning and preservative, and now also in manufacturing, agriculture, water conditioning, for de-icing roads, and many other uses. [83] Many salts are so widely used in society that they go by common names unrelated to their chemical identity.
From cold solutions, salt crystallises as the dihydrate NaCl·2H 2 O. Solutions of sodium chloride have very different properties from those of pure water; the freezing point is −21.12 °C (−6.02 °F) for 23.31 wt% of salt, and the boiling point of saturated salt solution is around 108.7 °C (227.7 °F).
High-resolution image of a grain of sea salt. Commercially available sea salts on the market today vary widely in their chemical composition. Although the principal component is sodium chloride, the remaining portion can range from less than 0.2 to 22% of other salts.
Note: ρ is density, n is refractive index at 589 nm, [clarification needed] and η is viscosity, all at 20 °C; T eq is the equilibrium temperature between two phases: ice/liquid solution for T eq < 0–0.1 °C and NaCl/liquid solution for T eq above 0.1 °C.
Sodium chloride, also known as 'edible salt' or 'table salt' [87] (chemical formula NaCl), is the principal source of sodium (Na) in the diet and is used as seasoning and preservative in such commodities as pickled preserves and jerky. For Americans, most sodium chloride comes from processed foods. [88]
An example is table salt, which is sodium chloride with the chemical formula NaCl. In water, it dissociates into Na + and Cl − ions. Salts such as calcium chloride, magnesium chloride, potassium chloride have varied uses ranging from medical treatments to cement formation. [4]
Because of the high solubility of its compounds, sodium salts are usually isolated as solids by evaporation or by precipitation with an organic antisolvent, such as ethanol; for example, only 0.35 g/L of sodium chloride will dissolve in ethanol. [15] Crown ethers, like 15-crown-5, may be used as a phase-transfer catalyst. [16]