Rock Salt
Rock Salt
Rock Salt
Essential Mining and Processing Rock salt is a naturally occurring mineral that is extensively mined around the world. There are two primary methods for extracting rock salt: underground mining and solution mining.
Solution Mining
Solution mining involves injecting water into underground salt deposits to dissolve the salt. The resulting brine is then pumped to the surface and evaporated to produce salt. This method is less detailed in the initial description but is another significant approach in rock salt production.Rock salt’s versatility makes it a valuable resource for various applications, from road de-icing to industrial uses. Its effective processing ensures it meets the quality standards required for efficient use in multiple sectors.
Solution Mining
Underground Mining
Underground mining involves accessing salt deposits located deep below the earth’s surface. These mines can range in depth from approximately 100 meters to over a mile. The mining process creates a network of tunnels, which serve as both transportation routes for mining vehicles and pathways for personnel.
Cut and Blast Mining
This technique begins with the use of an undercutter to create a slot at the base of a rock face. Following this, an electro-hydraulic drill creates holes in the rock surface. Explosives are placed in these holes and detonated, breaking the rock into approximately 1,400 tons of smaller pieces. The fragmented rock salt is then processed through a feeder breaker to reduce it to football-sized chunks, which are further crushed and sieved to meet the required specifications for road salt.
Continuous Mining
This method uses a specialized drilling machine to extract rock salt in a more streamlined process compared to cut and blast mining. The extracted salt is directly transported to a crushing and screening plant, bypassing the feeder breaker.
In both methods, an anti-caking agent is added to the salt to prevent clumping, ensuring that it remains free-flowing and ready for use in storage depots.