Original Articles
R. D. Femitha1 and C. Vaithyan
Abstract
Common salt plays an important role in the world’s economy. The most abundant source of common salt is sea water. It is manufactured by various methods, of which the solar evaporation of sea brine, backwater and underground brine is predominant. India has an extensive sea board with favourable periods of dry weather, which aids natural evaporation. Sodium chloride constitutes 80% of the total salts dissolved in sea water. Bittern is an unavoidable material formed during salt production. It is an extraordinary source of magnesium and potassium salts. It is also rich in calcium, magnesium, chloride, sulphate, sodium and trace elements like copper, manganese, iron and zinc. This paper explains the Physico-chemical parameters of brine at various stages viz., source, reservoir, condenser, crystallizer and bittern of the different salt pans of Tuticorin district. The values of the parameters mentioned here were subjected to variations due to seasonal conditions.