# morton solar salt!!



## 00bluegtp (Jul 13, 2009)

There is no salt availible can i use this for ice melt? I do just a few local drives and wondering if i can use it. and how it works. Help please blizzard is on its way.....


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## grandview (Oct 9, 2005)

What part of NY? Any hardware store should have ice melt left.


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## leon (Nov 18, 2008)

*Morton solar salt*

No reason you cannot use it but depending on how fine it is it will go a long way with sand with no waste.

If you are looking for bulk or bag you can go to Schoenburg Salt in Brooklyn or you can go to Newark for the Morton inbound Dock for bulk.

:waving:


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## rcpd34 (Jan 16, 2004)

Solar Salt is better since it's usually a lot cleaner. You'll pay more for it.


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## jblatti13 (Jan 24, 2009)

isnt solar salt salt water softener salt? thats all i use. nice and clean, but i dont buy it from the big brand stores for 5.40 a bag. works perfect for tailgate spreaders.


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## Westhardt Corp. (Dec 13, 2009)

Solar is usually used for softeners, yes, but also for several other commercial applications. I think table salt is solar derived, but Leon would know for sure. As long as you use crystals, and not compacted cubes/pellets, it should work just fine.

And don't use brine blocks. Just sayin....


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## dlcs (Sep 2, 2004)

I've used it for years and no problems. Nice and clean, never jams up, no clumps. You can wet the stuff with calcium right in the hopper and it doesn't plug up(no vibrator). I can't do that with plain bagged rock salt. I don't pay no where near 5.50 a bag. Stay away from Morton cause its way too expensive. I use Cargill brand, seams to be just the right size too. The off brand solar salt you get at menards is ok, but way to small of a rock, more like table salt. I know of several companies in my area using solar salt.


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## kcplowman (Nov 27, 2009)

If you don't mind me asking what are you guys paying for solar salt. Im paying 4.99 at the local home depot for 40 lb bags of this brand. I use it to make my brine and also spread it on the parking lots fairly frequently. Very consistent product. Just wished I had a cheaper source for it.


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## dlcs (Sep 2, 2004)

The most I pay is 4.50 for 50lb. bag,


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## dlcs (Sep 2, 2004)

You can get it mucher cheaper if you buy it by the semi load from Cargil.


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## jblatti13 (Jan 24, 2009)

this year i paid $3.00 per 50lb bag, bought by the pallet payup


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## overtime (Nov 5, 2009)

I think I paid 3.50 for 50 lb bags when I bought the pellet.


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## leon (Nov 18, 2008)

*solar salt*

Good morning fellow board members,

About solar salt:

The naturaly refined "solar" salt can be used for tabke salt as well

as a salt for deicing which is common in the western states with

no access to rock salt for deicing.

Salt for your table(salt shaker) or livestock is made from

either:

solar evaporated salt which is

solar evaporated salt meaning naturally evaporated by sun and wind; or

heated salt brine which in most brine plants is dried using vacuum assisted

drying pans.

leon


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## Westhardt Corp. (Dec 13, 2009)

Leon.

Has.

Spoken.


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## dlcs (Sep 2, 2004)

Modern Marvles did a show on salt. One of the cool things was how they get solar salt. They show this program quite a bit on the History Channel.


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## DURAMAXPLOW2003 (Jan 12, 2008)

i enjoy the coarse solar salt.......the size of an air stem valve cap...some time from tractor supply...by the pallet where ever its' cheapest. i like it because after you drive over it a little it crushes a bit and becomes another product moving around my customers p-lot. works for me...my customers loathe sand.


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## Kubota 8540 (Sep 25, 2009)

dlcs;1001248 said:


> Modern Marvles did a show on salt. One of the cool things was how they get solar salt. They show this program quite a bit on the History Channel.


Yeah I think Leon narrated that show..........


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## Westhardt Corp. (Dec 13, 2009)

Is it wrong that I am a total geek for those History shows? ::adjusts pocket protector::


:laughing:


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## dlcs (Sep 2, 2004)

Westhardt Corp.;1002007 said:


> Is it wrong that I am a total geek for those History shows? ::adjusts pocket protector::
> 
> :laughing:


I love the the History channel. Lets see there is Modern marvels, Engineering Distasters, Mega Disasters, Mega movers.

How about The discovery channel. Extreme Engineering, Extremem machines, How they do it, how its made, Ultimate Factories.

I am a junkie for anything engineering or showing how something is done. I like educational shows. Yes, i am a geek and proud of it.:laughing:


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## Westhardt Corp. (Dec 13, 2009)

I look at it like this--knowing how they calculate the blade angles of torpedo props (and subsequently manufacture them) could come in very handy someday.


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## Kubota 8540 (Sep 25, 2009)

leon;1001216 said:


> Good morning fellow board members,
> 
> About solar salt:
> 
> ...


Leon, when the ocean floods low lying areas then evaporates, that's solar salt right? I read that some of these places, then scrape off as little as 1/2" which ends up to equal something like 3 million tons? I'm starting to worry about your fingers? Maybe they should go in for a stress test? Your post seem to be getting shorter. Or maybe just more efficient.


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## leon (Nov 18, 2008)

Kubota 8540;1002675 said:


> Leon, when the ocean floods low lying areas then evaporates, that's solar salt right? I read that some of these places, then scrape off as little as 1/2" which ends up to equal something like 3 million tons? I'm starting to worry about your fingers? Maybe they should go in for a stress test? Your post seem to be getting shorter. Or maybe just more efficient.


-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------================================================================
greetings and salutations,

The short answer is yes, some solar salt operations will pan shallow amounts of sea water and then take the inch or half inch from that particular pan rather than simply concentrate the saline solution for three or more years and then harvest it.

It all depends on the area of salt flats that the operator owns or has access to etc.and the 
smaller salt pan areas around the the salt flats and salt pans in North Africa and on the northern edges of The Mediteranian Sea in France, Portugal, and Spain are mostly privately held operations. They are sensitive to the weather as they are in a more temperate areas with more normal seasonal weather patterns

This is also why you end up wath some solar salt with low salinity content and lower meling power and the light brown coloration as it was not concentrated prior to its crystallization and harvesting which is usually done the fifth year in the northern lattitudes..

Its is easy for someone familiar with solar salt, the concentrating, harvesting, processing
to see this.

It is also easy to detect if you have a saline refactometer to determine the saline content of the salt in question at all times by the following method prior to accepting the load in quantity.

1. A small amount of salt being one cup samples should be taken from the top of the load near the back of the semi, a second sample should be taken half way forward in the dump body and the last salt sample should be taken at the front about two feet under the top layer.

2 Liquify the sample with warm water using a 5 gallon pail and 2 gallons of water and a clean new paint mixing paddle or clean sheet rock mud mixing paddle.

When the salt and water is mixed and no solids are found in the salt water simply dip the refractometer in the salt water to determine the actual salinity by looking through the eye piece of the refractometer to see the gauge reading.

The testing is NOT exact but it will tell you what the average salinity is because water is required to determine salinity.

The MSDS which is required -no matter the producer- will give you a good idea as well.

3. The salt


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