Morton Salt Paper

COMPANY BACKGROUND

Morton Salt is a subsidiary of Morton International located in Silver Spring, New York. The Silver Spring plant employs 200 people, ranging from unskilled to skilled. It produces salt for water conditioning, grocery, industrial, and agricultural markets. Specifically, its products would include iodized salt, table salt, disposable salt, sea salt, French fry salt, popcorn salt, canning and pickling salt, ice cream salt, grand saline natural salt, and coarse kosher salt.

SALT PRODUCTION AND PROCESSING

Morton Salt uses three methods of salt processing: Salt Evaporation Method, Rock-Mining Method, and Vacuum Evaporation Method.

Solar Evaporation Method

This is the oldest method of salt production. It has been used since salt crystals were first noticed in trapped pools of sea water. Its use is practical only in warm climates where the evaporation rate exceeds the precipitation rate, either annually or for extended periods, and ideally, where there are steady prevailing winds. Solar salt production is, typically, the capturing of salt water in shallow ponds where the sun evaporates most of the water. The concentrated brine precipitates the salt which is then gathered by mechanical harvesting machines. Any impurities that may be present in the brine are drained off and discarded prior to harvesting.

Usually two types of ponds are used. First is the concentrating pond, where the salty water from the ocean or salt lake is concentrated. The second is called the crystallizing pond, where the salt is actually produced.

Crystallizing ponds range from to 40 to 200 acres with a foot-thick floor of salt resulting from years of depositions. During the salt-making season of four to five months, brine flows continuously through these ponds. This is a saturated brine solution, containing as much salt as it can hold, so pure salt crystallizes out of the solution as the water evaporates. Natural chemical impurities are returned to the salt water source....