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Century Chemicals Project Report

Technical Report · July 2016

DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.11493.81126

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PROJECT REPORT
CENTURY CHEMICALS
Tejit Pabari
The Doon School

Know the story of Salt.....

2

Cover Picture Credits:

“The Saltiest Salt: The 6 Types of Salt You Can Use the Least Of.” The Luxury Spot
<http://www.theluxuryspot.com/the-saltiest-salt-the-6-types-of-salt-you-can-use-
the-least-of/>.
 Project Report: Century Chemicals Ltd. 3

Abstract
Salt is a necessary ingredient in our lives. We see that white powder in
front of our eyes every day. We taste it in the very food that we eat. We see
it being sprinkled on roads to remove the ice during winters and in wine
cellars to prevent the alcohol from freezing.

However, how many of us have bothered to known the process behind

its making? Have you ever wondered where this salt comes from? Is it
delivered to us directly from the Sea or is there a refining process being
followed? What goes into its making, into the process?

These might be some un-resolved questions pinching your mind. I hope you
find the answers here.

This paper is a report on the working of the Century Chemicals plant as

observed by me. Century Chemicals, part of the Century Rayon division
of the Birla Group of companied, is one of the lead producers of salt in
Gujarat. This paper reports all the steps that are followed in the making
of salt, right from salt collection to extraction, purification, drying and then
packing. It lays specific emphasis on the reason behind the happening of a
particular process in that particular manner, the crucial component behind
the existence of the process.
4

Notice
Declaration

I, undersigned Tejit Pabari of the Doon School, hereby declare

that the Following project entitled “A Project Report on the Century
Chemical Plant” is my own study on the working of the Century
Chemicals Plant and no part of it is plagiarized. If any material is
borrowed from anywhere, it has been duly cited.

I have come up with this report after thorough investigation of the

process. In case of any faults, no blame must be put on anyone
except me, as I bear the full charge of writing this report.

This report will not be misused by me in any manner.

Signature X______________________
(Tejit Pabari)

Note:
I did not get a certificate for this report, since I was not above 18 years
– the age allowed by the government of India for an Internship (Century
Chemicals is not a private plant and there by cannot allow students below
18 to intern). However, they did allow me to visit the plant en number of
times and ask en number of questions. For that, I am very grateful to them.
I visited the plant and noted each step in the production of salt.

I was, also, not allowed to take pictures since, quite obviously, their secrets
might get leaked!! Therefore, I have tried to add pictures from the net and,
where necessary, have even tried to handrawn them (my artistic abilities
are quite something!!)
 Project Report: Century Chemicals Ltd. 5

Acknowledgement
I would like to start by thanking my Mentor – Mr. Deepesh Patel who guided
me in the project. We toured the plant together en number of times and he
patiently answered all my question, related or many times remotely related,
to the salt plant. For that, I am utterly grateful to him.

I would also like to thank my Uncle – Mr. Sandeep Kotecha for his help
and constant support in this project. He is an ex-employee of Century
Chemicals Limited plant. He helped me with all the processes, the diagrams
and answered my questions. We had some lovely time together.

I would like to thank my family members – My parents for being a constant

pillar of support for me and specially my mother for preparing my lunch,
many a times, when I had to stay in the plant during afternoons. I would
also like to thank my little sister, though she pestered me a lot, for
constantly boosting my morale and for supporting me through out.

Lastly, I would like to thank all those engineers of the plant, workers and
others who helped me with this project. If your name is not here, please
pardon me. I could not, possibly, have named each one of you. However,
you will not be forgotten and shall stay, forever, in my heart. Your kindness
will be remembered.

And now, the readers. Your journey Begins.

6

Table of Contents
Abstract..................................................................................................................................... 03

Notice........................................................................................................................................... 04

Acknowledgement.................................................................................................05

Introduction.............................................................. 08
How to go about this project...... 09
The Salt Industry................................................. 10
Part 1: Introduction About the Plant ................................................. 12

Part 2: Process Collection.....................................................................16

Selex Plant...................................................................18
Drier Plant.....................................................................25
Packing Plant......................................................... 32

Uses of Salt .................................... 38

Part 3: Conclusion
Conclusion.................................... 42
 Project Report: Century Chemicals Ltd. 7

Part 1Introdution 07
• Introduction.............. 08
• How to go about this
project........................... 09
• The Salt Industry........... 10
• About the Plant............ 12

Part 2 Process 15

Part 3 Conclusion 37
8 Part 1: Introduction

Introduction
I know the cure for everything: Salt water...in one form or another:
Sweat, tears or the sea.
~ Isak Dinesen1

…..And rightly said. Salt water is the ingredient and remedy to all things.
We use to in our food to eat – helps build taste. We use it to de-ice roads
– how would we travel otherwise? We use it in medicines, an important
compound. We use to store the dead – till burnt. Thus, salt finds a use
almost everywhere in our lives.

Each salt molecule has a story to tell. Each has a history attached to it.
Each molecule Journeys from the deep ends of the oceans to seas and
from there onwards it is extracted. Then it is purified by a huge process in a
Chemical plant, located remotely away from the city. It is then crushed into
the desired shape and size, devoid of any moisture and packed in the 1 kg
packets delivered at our doorsteps. To fully marvel the salt that we eat, one
must understand this journey, the story behind it.

Thus, I embarked on a mission to understand the story of salt. What makes

it the salt that we use? What is its journey? What all process lead to it?

This project is my understanding of the journey. It is my retelling of the story

of the salt molecule. It takes one through all the twist and turn that a salt
goes through, all the machinery it sees before it becomes what we see in
front our eyes, in our houses.

I hope that after reading this project you marvel this journey as much as I
do. Bonne Lecture…..
1
Isak Dinesen – The Deluge at Norderney, Seven Gothic Tales, 1934
Meaning:
In ancient times it was believed that salt water is a remedy to most dieses. Thus, the salt water.
The poet here has taken this a step further by saying that Sweat or Hard work will drive away
our troubles, Tears too will do the same – the tears that we shed are, biologically, to clean
our eyes, and to express our emotions, there by driving away our grief. Sea is mentioned
since it is symbolic of the calm and peace that we receive when we sit near it, on the shore
(metonymy).
“Karen Blixen.” Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia 20 June 2016. Wikipedia.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Karen_Blixen&oldid=726167545>.
“The Cure for Everything Is Salt Water - Sweat Tears or the Sea.” Yahoo Answers. Forum.
<https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070519205017AANXUW4>.
 Project Report: Century Chemicals Ltd. 9

How to go about this project

The project is designed in a particular manner so as to make it, easily
accessible to the reader. It is important that you read this section before
moving forward, since this section explains this design.

1. The project Report is divided into three Parts:

• Introduction
• Process
• Conclusion
The subheadings under each part are mentioned in the Table of
Contents. However, the subheadings under the Process part need to be
explained.
2. The process Section is again divided into three major sections – each
corresponding to three plants existing in the Factory. Each section is a
Heading – written on the top of the Page, in large, bold font.
3. Each Plant has certain steps, which together give us the final product –
the salt that we use today. These steps are in the order of happening.
Each of these steps form the Subheadings in the project – written in
Bold and the Description under these subheadings is the description for
that step.

Footnotes:
The foot notes contain three things:

1. They could be describing the particular word against which they are
footnoted. The description might include a summary of the process of
the footnoted word, or its definition or any description related to it. all
footnotes covering this point will be blue in color.
2. The footnotes also cite the places from where I obtained these
description or Explanations. the citation is in the MLA (modern Language
Association 7th Edition) format with the URL. These footnotes would be
red in color.
3. The footnotes are also used as reference Points. Thus, if a word has
been covered before and has been used again, I might have footnoted it
– referring it to the page number where I first used the term. In this case,
the color of the footnotes will be blue
10 Part 1: Introduction

The Salt Industry

Salt Industry in India2
India is the third largest producer of Salt in the whole world, after China and
USA.

The Major sources of salt in India are:

• Sea Brine
• Lake Brine
• Sub-soil Brine
• Rock Salt Deposits

Of these Salt is most produced using Sea Brine.

The major Sea Brine Salt producing centers in India are:

• Along the coast of Gujarat – Jamnagar, Mithapur, Jhakhar, Chira,
Bhavnagar, Rajula, Dahej, Gandhidham, Kandla, Maliya, Lavanpur
• Along the coast of Tamil Nadu – Tuticorin, Vedaranyam, Covelong
• Along the coast of Andhra Pradesh – Chinnaganjam, Iskapalli,
Krishnapatnam, Kakinada & Naupada
• Along the coast of Maharashtra – Bhandup, Bhayandar, Palghar
• Along the coast of Orissa – Ganjam, Sumadi
• And along the coast of West Bengal – Contain

Of these the states of Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and Rajasthan (Inland Salt
Production) account for more than 96% of the total salt production of India.

2
“List of Countries by Salt Production.” Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia 15 June
2016. <https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_countries_by_salt_
production&oldid=725480783>.
“Salt Department-Ho.” Government of India Salt Commissioner.
<http://saltcomindia.gov.in/>.
“SALT INDUSTRY IN INDIA.” Government of India Salt Department.
<http://saltcomindia.gov.in/industry_india.html?tp=Salt>.
 Project Report: Century Chemicals Ltd. 11

In all, there are about 11799 salt manufacturers in India, occupying a total
area of 6.09 lakhs across the country. The government of India has divided
this land into three parts –

• Manufacturers have a land of less than 10 acres – about 87.6% of the

total number of producers
• Manufactures have a land between 10 and 100 acres – about 6.6 % of
the total number
• Manufacturers having land more than 100 acres – about 5.8% of the
total number.

Of the total salt produced in India, about 69 lakh ton is used for Household
consumption and 107 lakh ton is consumed by the various Industries. India
also exports salt, about 35 lakhs a year, to many countries such as Japan,
Bangladesh, Indonesia, South and North Korea, UAE, Vietnam etc.

History
Salt’s journey in India began after the Indian Independence. The growth in
the salt production in India has occurred in the past 69 – 70 years. Before
Independence, most of the salt was imported from the United Kingdoms
and Adens to meet the domestic requirements. Only about 1.9 million tons
of salt was being produced in India during Independence, as compared to
the 12 fold increased amount – 22.2 million tons in 2011 – 2012.

Major Companies in Salt production in India

Following are some companies that form the cream of the companies
producing salt in India.

For Household Overall (Household +

Purposes: Industiral):
Tata Salt Tata
Captain Cook Hindustan Salts Ltd.
I-Shakti Bharath Salt Refineries
Aashirvadh
Annapurna And many more…..
Surya salt
Sambhar salt
Nirma shudh
12 Part 1: Introduction

About the Plant

History
Century Textiles and Industries Ltd.5
Century Textiles and Industries are a part of the Birla Group of Companies.
It started in the year 1897 with the century textiles and industries limited
being incorporated as a Public Limited company, in the already existing
company handling one cotton textile mill in Mumbai.

Since then, the Industry has expanded its reach into various areas from
Yarn to Cement, Chemical and salt.

Century Rayon & Century Chemicals, Jamnagar6

Century Rayon, part of the Century Textiles and Industries Group, was
first set up at Kalyan, near Mumbai, in the year 1956. It started with the
production of Rayon Yarn.

Soon its reach spread to other areas. It started diversifying. Today it

produces many products namely:
• Viscous Filament Yarn (VFY)
It is one of the largest producers of Viscous Filament Yarn in India.
• Caustic Soda and Chlorine
• Sulphuric Acid
• Hydrochloric Acid
• Compressed Hydrogen
• Carbon – Di-sulphide

Century Chemicals is a part of this Century Rayon Group of Industries.

Century Chemicals produces Industrial Salt and Salt for Household

Consumption.

5
“About Us | Century Textiles and Industries Limited.” Web.
<http://www.centurytextind.com/about-us/about-us.html>.
“Company Profile | Century Textiles and Industries Limited.” Web.
<http://www.centurytextind.com/about-us/company-profile.html>.
6
“Century Rayon | Century Textiles and Industries Limited.” Web.
<http://www.centurytextind.com/divisions/century-rayon.html>.
 Project Report: Century Chemicals Ltd. 13

Plant Basics
This section describes the basics of the plant, which one must know to
understand the plant.

The Century Chemicals plant occupies an area of 1834 acres, including all
its Salt Pits7. Of this, the Salt Crystallizers8 occupy an area of 250 acres.

The production capacity of this plant is 300 tons of salt per day when the
manpower is 100% and all the machines are working (ideal situation – in
this case often achieved).

The whole plant is surrounded by sea, such is its location. Thus, it has no
shortage of sea water, from which salt is extracted.

The Century Chemical plant is a 24/7 working plant, i.e. working for all 24
hours, all 7 days a week, except on Monday when there is no power supply
(no supply officially provided by the government). These types of plants are
known as Continuous Process Plants.

Each working day at the plant is divided into three sections from
7 am to 3 pm, from 3 pm to 11 pm and from 11 pm to 7 am. Each section
has a Shift engineer. The shift engineer is in in charge of the whole plant for
that time duration. All decisions at that time are made by him. All workers
report to him. The plant is under his control for that duration. The shift
engineer reports directly to the director .

Now, let us move on to the process.

7
Please refer to Page
8
Please refer to Page
14 Part 1: Introduction

Plant Size

A Google Earth image of the Century Chemicals plant. The red part
denotes the plant area of about 1834 acres.
 Project Report: Century Chemicals Ltd. 15

Part 1: Introduction 07

Part 2: Process 15
• Collection.......................16
• Selex Plant......................18
• Drier Plant....................... 25
• Packing Plant................. 32

Part 3: Conclusion 37
16 Part 2: Process

Collection
The first step of the process is the collection of Salt Water for the extraction
of salt

Drying Pits:
The sea water is sucked from the sea during tides, when the water comes
near the shore. For this, Century Chemicals has pumps along its borders.
These pumps draw water from the sea and release it into huge pits, known
as drying pits, dug by Century Chemicals. These pits are roughly about
the size of half a soccer field, all similar in dimension. These pits are
interconnected, with each of them sloping a bit more than the previous.
Thus, the water released in one pit slowly makes its way into the last one,
pit by pit.

This process is done since the water found in the sea has about 4% of salt
in it (on an average). However, salt can only be extracted at a concentration
of 24%. In order to increase its concentration, the quantity of water is
depleted by evaporation and by the high winds that blow in that area. This
is done throughout this and the next step.

The Green part over here are the drying pits. They can be see clearly in the picture on
page . The white part are the salt crystallizers.
 Project Report: Century Chemicals Ltd. 17

Salt Crystallizers:
From the drying pits, the salt water is transferred to salt crystallizers, which
are located beside the drying pits. These pits are from where the salt is
extracted.

The water from the last drying pit is transferred to the crystalline pits. The
water is left there for some days, where it evaporates and achieves a
salt concentration of 24%. The salt is then collected from the pits by JCB
machine. The water is drained into the sea by a channel dug in the pits.

Thus, we have got our salt, impure and slightly brown in color (not pure
white, since it has some mud and impurities). This will further be wet in the
Selex plant and dried in the drier plant before being packed and sold in the
market.

Impurities:
The impurities present in the salt are of two types:

• One that can be seen with the naked eye.

Examples consists of Iron Pieces and Mud

• One that can’t be seen with the naked eye.

Examples consists of Magnesium Ions and Calcium Ions.

Salt heaps10
9
Brine is a saturated solution of salt in water. The concentration of salt may wary from about
3.5% to 16%, depending upon the use and depending upon the type of water and its
temperature. More salt can be dissolved in Brine with a low concentration of salt by heating
the water and then adding salt to it.
“Brine.” Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia 13 Apr. 2016. Wikipedia. Web.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Brine&oldid=715018023>.
10“Bonaire-Sea-Salt-Plant-Photo-014351.jpg | Matthew Meier Photography.”
<http://matthewmeierphoto.photoshelter.com/image/I0000Jg7e8H9SWlw>.
18 Part 2: Process

Selex Plant
The salt extracted from the Salt crystallizers is collected at the end of the
pits in piles. Trucks known as Dumpers bring the salt from the piles to the
plant. Here, the process of refining and packing begins.

The salt is first weighed before being dumped in the raw salt Feed Hopper.
The total weight of salt dumped in the raw feeder is calculated and a report
is sent to the shift engineer.

Raw Salt Feed Hopper:

The raw salt feed hopper is a huge container in which the salt is dumped.
The container is in the shape of an inverted frustum11 , the broad part on the
top and the narrow at the bottom. The bottom is in the shape of a rectangle,
and thus, the salt comes out of the salt feeder in a rectangular line.
The salt is dropped onto a conveyor belt, from the raw salt feed hopper.
The conveyor belt has a huge magnet suspended on top. Thus, all the iron
impurities get attracted to it and are removed.

A frustum is a portion of a solid with parallel planes on either side. In this case, the frustum
11

used is a part of a cone. A picture is shown for better explanation:

The small rectangle was the opening, while the

salt was dropped in through the large rectangle
(inverted Frustum)

Picture Source:
“Frustum.” Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia 25
June 2016. Wikipedia. Web.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.
php?title=Frustum&oldid=726875654>.
 Project Report: Century Chemicals Ltd. 19

Screen:
The salt is the passed through
a screen. The screen is a sieve
made of iron threads allowing
particles of a particluar size to
pass. It separates salt from mud,
whose particles are usually bigger.
However, this separation is not
100% effective and some particles
still go unnoticed. The separated
mud particles are handpicked by
workers.
Screen12

Crusher:
The particles of salt, at this point, are
quite large. Some of them are even
present in small lumps. They must
be crushed before being processed.
Thus, the crusher crushes the
particles of salt, from a size of about
20mm to 8-9 mm.

Salt Crusher13

Hopper:
From the Crusher, the salt is transferred to a hopper - a container for
carrying salt .

From here, the salt is carried to the 1st Elution tank, on the first floor using a
raw salt bucket elevator.
“M&S - SALT REFINERY PLANTS – SODIUM CHLORIDE - SALTWORKS.”
12

<http://www.manfredinieschianchi.com/206-2EN-salt-processing-plants-sodium-chloride.htm>.

“Salt Grinding Crusher Machine-Higao Tech Co.Ltd.”

13

<http://www.pulverizermixermachines.com/industrial-salt-crusher-machine-for-flavoring-and-
condiment_p20.html>.
20 Part 2: Process

Elution tank 1 (ELU 1):

Elution tanks14 are huge, closed containers with a broad top and a
narrow base. These tanks are used for the purification of the salt. Century
Chemicals had 5 Elution tanks in its plant. Each purify the salt, removing
the impurities that cannot be seen with the naked eye.

The working of an Elution tank is simple. An Elution tank has pipes known
as Header connected to it. Subsidiary pipes from the header, also known
as Sponger, are also connected to the tank. These pipes contain brine
solution. When impure salt enters the container, the pipes are opened and
brine flows in the container with huge force. After this, the mixture is allowed
to settle in the tank. The force with which the brine solution is thrown brakes
the small salt particles into even smaller pieces. It also wets the salt. These
two processes are important since they break the particles into finer pieces
and separate the impurities that cannot be seen with the naked eye.

How does an Elution tank separate Impurities using Brine? Well, the
answer is simple. Calcium and Magnesium Impurities which are dissolved
in brine and cannot be see with the naked eyes, are lighter than salt (NaCl)
particles. Thus, when the brine solution hits the salt with force and is then
allowed to settle, the impurities rise up and get collected as a dark, frothy
like substance known as slag15.

The mixture of brine and salt, also called slurry16 , is sucked by a slurry
pump to the second Elution Tank.

14
In organic Chemistry, Elution refers to the process of extracting a substance A from another
(substance or solution) B by washing B with a solvent. Here substance A is the salt that we add
and substance B is (are) the chemical impurities present in the salt (Ca and Mg) . The solvent is
the Brine Solution. Thus, the salt is extracted from the solvent.
“Elution.” Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia 22 June 2015. Wikipedia. Web.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Elution&oldid=668024300>.
15
Slag is the by-product, the left over compound after a compound has been separated
from its solution. Remember, the solution itself is not slag, but the compound not used, or the
compound that separates from the desired compound is called the slag. Slag can be a useful
compound, however, often it is often the undesired part. It was originally used (and still is) with
respect to smelting process. In this case, the sag is the black froth formed of Calcium and
Magnesium Ions.
“Slag.” Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia 26 June 2016. Wikipedia. Web.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Slag&oldid=727055368>.
16
Slurry is the mixture of pulverized (fine particles of a solid) particles of a solid with a liquid
solvent. It behaves like a thick liquid and moves with difficulty, however it is easier to transport
than just the solid. Thus, a slurry is made. In the drier plant section, I will explain the two different
methods of transporting a solid from one place to another. Remember slurry there!!
“Slurry.” Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia 9 Oct. 2015. Wikipedia. Web.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Slurry&oldid=684964581>.
 Project Report: Century Chemicals Ltd. 21

Elution Tank 2 (ELU 2):

The second Elution tank has the same function as the first. It removes the
chemical impurities from salt and further breaks the salt particles. The slurry
from the second Elution Tank is passed on to a Hydro Mill.

Elution Tank

Hydro Mill:
Slurry from the Elution tank still
has many coarse particles in it.
These particles need to be broken
down to a required size (as asked
for by the dealer). This is where
the Hydro Mill comes in. The
Hydro mill breaks the salt particles
into smaller pieces by using a
rotating blade that crushes the
salt particles. Thus, the hydro mill Hydro Mill
acts like the crusher we read above, however, the size of the particle can
be adjusted over here by rotating a wheel that adjusts the gap between the
rotating blade and the surface over which slurry lies.

From the Hydro mill, the Slurry goes to the Third Elution Tank.
22 Part 2: Process

Elution Tank 3 (ELU 3):

The third ELU tank further purifies this salt. The slurry is again sucked by a
slurry pump to the fourth Elution Tank.

Elution Tank 4 (ELU 4):

The Fourth ELU tank is the last ELU tank the slurry sees before being
passed on to the centrifuge.

Centrifuge:
A centrifuge17 is a machine that rotates anything fixed in it around an axis.
This rotation leads to the application of the Centripetal and the Centrifugal
Force on the object. Often, a Centrifuge is used to separate compounds
from a solution mixture, where the compounds are heavier than the solution
(do not float on the Solution). These heavier compounds settle at the
bottom of the container containing the solution, due to the high centripetal
force applied on them. The same principle is used here.

The centrifuge in Century chemicals is a huge device that rotates the slurry
mixture as it flows into it from the ELU tank. This rotation separates the now
pure salt from brine, since this salt is additional in the slurry.

This phenomenon can be understood easily with an analogy. Take the

brine to be a person, say X, having 6 dogs (super saturated salt solution).
Another person comes by and leaves a dirty dog (the salt that we add) at
night. X, being an animal lover, cannot leave the dog in the open. Therefore
she takes it in, cleans it and takes care of the dog. One day, another animal
lover, say Y, (the centrifuge) comes to her house in search of a dog (salt). X
immediately sells the dog that someone left at her house (separation of the
salt and brine) for a bare minimum price (the centrifugal Force) because the
dog is an additional burden to her, eating her resources, slowing her down.
She is not able to sustain all 8 of them, herself and the seven dogs.

17
This centrifuge is the same one that is found in the school’s chemistry laboratory, just a bigger
version. The basic principle is any centrifuge is sedimentation. The centrifuge rotates the object
in order to draw the heavier particles in the solution down, by using the centripetal force.
The gravity of circular rotation. Gravity also plays its part and lo! We have separated two
compounds.
“Centrifuge.” Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia 28 May 2016. Wikipedia.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Centrifuge&oldid=722547008>.
 Project Report: Century Chemicals Ltd. 23

Similarly the slurry

gives up the salt that
we added. This salt,
now free of chemical
impurities, is transferred
to the drier plant for the
next part of the process.
The leftover, brine, also
called the mother liquor18
is taken to the brine pits.

A Centrifuge19
Brine Pits:
Brine Pits are storage pits made of brine. The leftover brine from the
Centrifuge is transferred here. This brine might have some chemical
impurities present in it.

After a sufficient amount of brine solution is collected the solution is further

diluted by adding water to it. Then, the solution is left to dry. Drying is done
in the same manner as in the crystalline pits. The solution is transferred to
various pits, drying up each time.

The whole process of Dilution and drying is done so as to remove the

dissolved chemical impurities present in brine and to obtain clean brine
once again. The chemical impurities start floating up as froth, as the
diluted solution passes through the pits. This froth is then collected on
one side. The brine obtained at the end has very less impurities and is
ready to be used once again (this process is not 100 % efficient, otherwise
it would have been used to get pure salt from seas water. However, this
process is cheap and easy and one does not need 100 % pure brine in the
process…..).

Thus, brine is effectively recycled using the Brine Pits.

18
Mother liquor is the part of the solution that is left over after a chemical process. Originally
it was used in the sugar refining process where the left over liquid, after the crystallization
process, was called Mother Liquor.
“Mother Liquor.” Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia 31 Aug. 2015. Wikipedia. Web.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mother_liquor&oldid=678696333>.
19
“Salt Seperation LLW Discharge Screen Centrifuge China Chemical Product Machinery.”
<http://www.weiku.com/products/18054498/Salt_Seperation_LLW_Discharge_Screen_
Centrifuge.html>.
24 Part 2: Process

Flowchart - Selex Plant

 Project Report: Century Chemicals Ltd. 25

Drier Plant
The salt obtained from the Selex plant has about 4% moisture present in it
(a lot, if you look at it from an Industry’s perspective). This is where the drier
plant comes in.

The drier plant is needed in the salt industry because:

1. The drier plant is needed because 4% of moisture is also really harmful

for the salt industry.

• It is difficult to transport salt with this much moisture. It might stick to

the container or the bag in which it is being transported, thus leading
the industry to a loss.

• It can’t be used by households since it will stick to the packets or the

small salt containers that households use to pour salt.

• Also, if some moisture is already present in the salt, then it is difficult

to determine how much water to add to that salt, in order to dilute
it to a particular level. Thus, that salt cannot be used for scientific
experiments and also in some industries (not exactly 4% moisture is
present in the salt that goes in the drier plant. Although the efficiency
of the drier plant is not 100%, the moisture in the salt that we get
after drying is negligible.)

2. The drier plant is also needed because the salt particles of salt are
now in varied quantities. Some are very fine (very small), while some
are coarse (big). They need to be separated and transported to the
respective dealer, as per their requirement.
26 Part 2: Process

Screw Technology:
The passing on of the salt between Screw Compartment 20
the plants is done using the screw
technology.

The screw technology is a simple and effective

technology. The Compartment in which the salt
is passed is called the screw compartment. The
screw compartment has a huge screw fit in it. The
gaps between the screws are filled with salt. The
screw is rotated forward and the salt travels along with it,
getting churned with each rotation of the screw.

Why is the screw Technology used to transfer the salt, why not transfer it
directly in a pipe? Well, if the transfer is direct, then there are high chances
of the salt being stuck somewhere in the pipe due to its moisture. Thus,
it might block the pipe. The salt might also fly off, if this happens, since
some particles are light. Even if we push the salt in a pipe using an iron
block, some salt might get trapped underneath the iron block. The screw
technology effectively transports all the salt from one division of the plant to
another, leaving very few particles of salt stuck in the pipe.

While the salt is transferred in the screw compartment, a compound known

as PFC21 is added to the salt (a solution of PFC compound). PFC stands
for Potassium Ferro Cyanide, an effective Anti-caking Agent22 (removes
Moisture). It is added in small quantities in the salt to stop it from forming
lumps.

From the Screw Compartment the salt is transferred to the Drier.

20
“Salt Processing Plant, Grinding Machines Exporter from Vadodara.”
<http://www.indiamart.com/mechtechmachines/products.html>.

PFC – PFC stands for Potassium Ferro Cyanide, an Anti-caking agent, unlike the harmful PFC
21 22

(Per fluorinated Chemicals) that we know of, although their functioning is similar.
An Anti-caking agent is an additive added to a substance to prevent it from forming lumps (by
preventing moisture from entering these substances). Anti-Caking agents are usually placed
in powered materials such as salt (table salt) that we use. A common anti-caking agent used
in India, for keeping table salt dry, is (are) wheat grains. Raw (un-cooked) wheat grains are
added to salt containers to help keep moisture away.
The PFCs that Potassium Ferro Cyanide could be confused with (both have the same
Abbreviation) are harmful for humans and environment. They disrupts endocrine activity. These
are also greenhouse gases.
“Anticaking Agent.” Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia 9 Apr. 2015. Wikipedia.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Anticaking_agent&oldid=655621502>.
“Perfluorinated Compound.” Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia 1 Mar. 2016. Wikipedia.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Perfluorinated_compound&oldid=707772539>.
 Project Report: Century Chemicals Ltd. 27

Drier:
The drier consists of a huge tube, like a hollow coil, wound in the plant. The
drier has three tasks to perform:

• Drying the salt using Hot air

• Transferring the salt to the Product Bucket Elevator
• Separating the First type of Salt produced – Very Fine salt

It does all three simultaneously.

The salt first enters the huge pipe of the drier. The drier runs from the Screw
Compartment to the Product bucket elevator. While the salt is transferred,
hot air blows on top of it, taking all the moisture with it. This air enters from
the starting end of the pipe and runs till the end of the pipe, where it is
removed through another pipe. Thus, the moisture is removed from the salt.

The Hot air, with a

temperature of 260°C
and at a high velocity
(generated using a
fan), is generated by
the FBDC (Fluid Bed
Drier Compartment24) FBDC23
part located outside the plant. The process of generation is very simple.
Biofuel is burned in FBDC. This heats the oil flowing in copper tubes, which
are circulated in FBDC. These copper pipes are then circulated in the drier,
where they heat the cold air25 from the fan, in the drier. This hot air takes
away the moisture with it and is then released in the open, outside the
plant. Thus, the moisture from the salt is removed.

23
“Salt Processing Plant, Grinding Machines Exporter from Vadodara.”
<http://www.indiamart.com/mechtechmachines/products.html>.
24
FBDC is called Fluid Bed Drier Compartment because the heat is generated through Biofuel,
which are liquids (First- Generation Biofuels). So Fluid Bed is the Biofuel, Drier – because it is a
part of the Drier Plant.
Although the Efficiency of the Biofuel used is quite less, this Biofuel is available cheaply as it
is being produced in a nearby plant (transportation charges gone). The plant managers are
working on using a better alternative – more efficient and cheaper.
“Biofuel.” Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia 28 June 2016. Wikipedia. Web.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Biofuel&oldid=727322873>.
“First Generation Biofuels - BioFuel Information.” BioFuel.org.uk. Web.
<http://biofuel.org.uk/first-generation-biofuels.html>.

Cold Air – This is not artificially cooled, rather cold here is relative to the hot air generated
25

after heating it. (The air is at normal, room temperature)

28 Part 2: Process

This long process was developed for a particular reason.

The air cannot be directly

heated and sent to the
drier, instead of heating
the oil because it will
turn cold till it reaches
the pipes. Thus, some
medium has to be used
to act as a go-between
between the bio-fuel and
the Air. Air Pipes and Drier26

This medium is oil. Water cannot be used instead of oil because, if water
is used, the plant will use sea water (because it is available so widely
and because if they use freshwater, the overall productive efficiency of
the plant will increase as the air heats up more, but the cost will increase
as well – fresh water27 is costly!! – And when analyzed mathematically
using optimization28 , the plant managers found that using oil was a more
economical option!!) Also,sea Water has many salts dissolved in it and if
circulated in the pipes, they might act as a catalyst for rusting29. Thus, using
oil has a mathematical, chemical and a physical backup behind it!!
“Salt Processing Plant, Grinding Machines Exporter from Vadodara.”
26

<http://www.indiamart.com/mechtechmachines/products.html>.

Price of 1 Liter of Oil in India is Rs. 12 (crude oil though) and 1 Liter of Water is Rs. 15 (bottled
27

water though)
2008: “Believe It or Not: Oil Cheaper than Packaged Water.” The Economic Times. Web.
<http://economictimes.indiatimes.com//articleshow/3893635.cms>.
2016: Modi, Ajay. “Crude Oil Cheaper than Drinking Water.” Business Standars. Web.
<http://www.business-standard.com/article/current-affairs/crude-oil-cheaper-than-drinking-
water-116011000723_1.html>.

Optimization is an area of Mathematics that is used to analyze a given problem to find the
28

maximum or minimum value. The plant managers optimized the graph between Cost and
Amount of Oil/Water and between Amount of Oil/Water and Efficiency/ amount of product
produced and found that Oil was, overall, a better option.
“Mathematical Optimization.” Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia 19 June 2016. Wikipedia.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mathematical_optimization&oldid=726084568>.
29
Rusting is the process of oxidizing iron in presence of air and water (moisture). It is a chemical
reaction. This process can be advanced by the addition of salt in the water/moisture that rusts
iron. The reason is quite inherent, since rusting is a chemical reaction, there is movement of
electors (although the total number stays the same – conservation of charge and mass). Salt
water enhances this movement, increasing the flow, since salt increases the Na+ and Cl- ion
concentration in water, which can transfer electrons. Thus, it acts as a catalyst for rusting.
“Rust.” Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia 16 June 2016. Wikipedia.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Rust&oldid=725529178>.
“Does Saltwater Affect the Production of Rust?” UCSB Science Line. Search Forum.
<http://scienceline.ucsb.edu/getkey.php?key=552>.
 Project Report: Century Chemicals Ltd. 29

As the salt from the Drier reaches the

Product bucket elevator, the very fine
particles of the salt (with a diameter of
.150mm) are blown up by the hot air. These
particles are separated using a cyclone31
(Cyclonic Separator) and this is the first
product to be packed. This is then sent to
the respective industry32.

All three objectives completed, the salt

is now transferred to a Product Bucket
Elevator

Cyclone30
Optimato, and SKA. “Cyclone Separator (cyclone) - CIPRES FILTR BRNO.” CIPRES.
30

<http://www.cipres.co.uk/cyklonovy-odlucovac-cyklon.html>.
31
Originally, A Cyclone is a Device used to separate fine dust
particles from smoke. This is done through the method of Vortex
Separation – blowing particles at a high velocity such that they
start rotating in a circle – also called the vortex. In a cyclonic
separator the particulate matter is blown in an inverted conical
Container in a helical manner. Particulate matter has a high
inertia and thus cannot climb the Cyclone (conical Container).
The air is released from the top, separating the particulate
matter collected in the cyclone or at the bottom.

A similar method is followed here. The fine salt particles are

blown by the hot air in a pipe. This separates them from some
heavier particles that might have flown with them. Then, the
salt particles and air are dropped in a cyclone. Due to the
high inertia of the particles, the particles get deposited at the
bottom of the Cyclone (The gravity ensures that all the particles
reach the bottom), while the air is released from the top. (A
good question that arises here is that, how were the particles
blown by the air before, if the same air is now lighter than the
particles? – Remember, the air was at a high velocity and thus
took the particles along with it. As it reaches the top, it loses
Kinetic energy and thus, velocity. Thus the particles now settle
down instead of flying upwards with the air.

“Cyclonic Separation.” Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia 13

Mar. 2016. Wikipedia. Web.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Cyclonic_
separation&oldid=709777999>.
“Vortex.” Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia 1 May 2016.
Wikipedia. Web.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Vortex&oldid=718018012>.
32
Refer the end part for the various industries where the respective types of salts are used.
30 Part 2: Process

Product Bucket Elevator:

A product Bucket Elevator carries salt from the bottom to the top, where the
salt is passed through a screen.

Product Bucket Elevator33

Remember the Slurry transfer, and the Screw Compartment? This method
– Product Bucket Elevator – is also a method of transfer of salt. There are
three different methods used in the plant. Why?

The reason behind using these methods is:

1. Method 1: Slurry Pump34 –
This is used in the first part (Wet plant) of the process. This is because
in the first part, the salt is impure and also in a Solution form – Dissolved
in Brine. It can be transferred through a Product Bucket Elevator, but
since the elevator occupies a large area, pumps and pipes are easier.

2. Screw Compartment35 –
The Screw Compartment method is for Horizontal Transfer and reason
for its specific choice have been mentioned before.

3. Product Bucket Elevator –

A Slurry pump cannot be used here because, as is obvious, the salt has
to be liquidated for using in a slurry pump. This would nullify the whole
process performed (quite dumb!!)
“Salt Processing Plant, Grinding Machines Exporter from Vadodara.”
33

<http://www.indiamart.com/mechtechmachines/products.html>.
34
Please refer to page 20
35
Please refer to page 26
 Project Report: Century Chemicals Ltd. 31

Flowchart - Drier Plant

32 Part 2: Process

Packing Plant
After being passed through the Salt Drying plant, the salt is sent to the
Packing plant where it is separated according to its size and packed.

Screens:
From the Product Bucket Elevators, the salt is dropped onto a screen.
The screen separates the salt into three types, depending upon their sizes:

• Fine Salt. Particle Size < 0.300mm

Fine Salt36
• Crystalline Salt. Particle Size –
0.300mm to 0.890mm

Crystalline Salt37

• Coarse Salt. Particle Size > 1.400mm

Coarse Salt38

The Screen has separate holes for separating particles. To pass the
particles of a particular size, the screen size is adjusted according and
particles are allowed to pass in the appropriate silo.
36
“Tunisian Sea Salt | Bergamot Orange.”
<https://bergamotorange.net/tag/tunisian-sea-salt/>.
37
“Buy White Edible Crystalline Salt in China on Alibaba.com.”
<http://www.alibaba.com/cache/White-Edible-Crystalline-Salt_105716732.html>.
38
“RuhlmanPhotography.com - Ruhlman.com Food Photos - Sea Salt Coarse Crystals 4X6.”
<http://ruhlmanphotography.com/2/822c0/2a922c2/?a=1&navlist=220d54b,220d687#/gallery/
ruhlman-com-food-photos/sea-salt-coarse-crystals-4x6/>.
 Project Report: Century Chemicals Ltd. 33

Silo:
Before being collected, salt is passed through a
Silo39. A Silo is a huge container, hexagonal in
shape with magnets fixed in it. As the salt passes
the silo, it hits the magnets and then falls down,
where it is collected. This removes all the minute
iron particles and the dust particles40 that exist
in it. This is an important step as it is the final
refining of the salt before it is shipped. Silos of a similar sort were
fouund in the plant41

Different Quantities of the different types of salts are collected at the bottom
of the silos. Each, but the coarse one, is weighed, packed and stored in the
go down – ready to be shipped.

The Very Fine salt – is produced in very small quantities. The second type
– Fine Salt – is also produced in very small quantities. Combined, they both
form about 15% of the total Produce. The Crystalline salt forms about 70%
of the total produce while the Coarse forms about 15% of the Produce.

The coarse salt has still some time to spend in the plant. It is too big to be
used in any manner – industrially or in households. It is often considered
as a lump. Thus, it is not packed and shipped like the others. Rather it is
crushed using a pin mill, weighed and again inserted in the dryer.

39
A Silo stands for the huge storage containers used to store materials in bulk. However,
silos also been used for other purposes, as in this case. Here, the silo is used as a refining
compartment.

Dust Particles and Magnet? You must be wondering – how?

40

Non-magnetic dust particles can acquire magnetic charge using two methods:
• If the object used to grind the dust particles previously is a ferromagnetic material, then
some of the ferromagnetic material might get deposited on the dust particle.
• The act of grinding induces a static electric charge on the grains, and thus, they respond
to magnetic field.
• (My theory):As the size of a particle decreases, it turns more and more into a magnet. This
is because as the size decreases, the para-magnetic property of the particle takes over
(because as the particle size decreases, the probability of the dipoles being cancelled in
the material, since there are less dipoles in the material. So the dipoles can align in one
direction more easily than in a bigger material), resulting in the particles getting attracted
to the magnet.
“Dust Aluminum Attracted to Magnet.” Physics Forums - The Fusion of Science and Community.
<https://www.physicsforums.com/threads/dust-aluminium-atracted-to-magnet.547367/>.
“Electromagnetism - Can Non-Magnetic Dust Particles Become Magnetic If Their Particle Size Is
Decreased (by Grinding Them Probably)? - Physics Stack Exchange.”.
<http://physics.stackexchange.com/questions/265332/can-non-magnetic-dust-particles-
become-magnetic-if-their-particle-size-is-decrea>.

“Salt Processing Plant, Grinding Machines Exporter from Vadodara.”

41

<http://www.indiamart.com/mechtechmachines/products.html>.
34 Part 2: Process

Pin Mill:
The pin mill is like the Hydro
Mill42 , breaking the particles into
finer ones. It works on the same
principle of rotating a blade on
the surface, where the salt is
kept, to crush it. The crushed
particles are then shipped back
to the Drier, and then go through
the drier plant once again.

Pin Mill43

Packing:
The salt is packed in packets
of 50, 100 and 1000 kg (1
ton). The packing is done
manually, by collecting the salt
in a small container inserted
in the line coming from the
silo and then packing the salt
in the packets. The packets
are then sealed using a Hand
Electric Sealing Machine .

Handy Electrical Packing Maachine44

42
Refer to Page 21

“Salt Processing Plant, Grinding Machines Exporter from Vadodara.”

43

<http://www.indiamart.com/mechtechmachines/products.html>.
44
An Electric Sealer, used to seal two plastic payers together, works on the Principle of Heat
Sealing. Heat is applied to the area to be sealed, using a dye. This heat melts the plastic layers,
joining them together
“Heat Sealer.” Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia 29 Feb. 2016. Wikipedia. Web. 29 June 2016.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Heat_sealer&oldid=707591299>.
Picture Credits:
“Aliexpress.com : Buy 220V Industrial Use Electric Hand Woven Bag Sealing Sewing Machine
from Reliable Bag Closing Machine Suppliers on Guangzhou Rongxing Packaging Machinery
Co.,LTD.” aliexpress.com. Web.
<//www.aliexpress.com/store/product/Handheld-electric-industrial-sewing-machine-
sewing-woven-bag-machine-automatic-secant/1192026_1952700555.html?src=ibdm_
d03p0558e02r02>.
 Project Report: Century Chemicals Ltd. 35

Iodized Salt
Generally, Century Chemicals produces salt for Industrial Use only.
However, many a times, depending upon the demand, Century Chemicals
also produces salt for household consumption. However, for this it needs to
be iodized.

Iodizing a salt45 is a simple process, introducing a very small variant in the

above process. To get Iodized salt – Potassium Iodate or Potassium Iodine
Solution is added to the salt with the anti-caking gent – Potassium Ferro
Cyanide46 – when it is passing through the drier. About 57 grams of this
solution is added to a ton of salt to iodize it.

To prevent the Potassium Iodine solution from oxidizing and getting

vaporised, a compound known as Dextrose47 is also sometimes added.

This salt received at the end is then packed in pickings of 1 or 5 kg and sold
directly, under the brand name of Century Chemicals Limited.

45
Salt needs to be iodized before consumption. Although this is not a necessary aspect – even
if the salt is not iodized, we can safely consume the salt. However, salt is used as a medium
to transfer Iodine to humans. Iodine is a micronutrient required by humans for their growth.
Deficiency of Iodine in humans creates goiter (10th standard Biology textbook). One can get
iodine in the body by eating fish and other sea water animals and by eating plants grown
in soil containing iodine. However, due to the constant activities by man, soil having iodine
is not found quite often. Thus, Iodine needs to be supplied to the human body from outside
(artificially). This is done through salt. (However, an Article in Harvard Health even goes on to
say that not eating salt will not effect your iodine levels, as you can get enough iodine from
substances other than salt such as fish, eggs and shellfish. (what about vegetarians, eh?)
Salt was used as a carrier for Iodine, first by the US. Thereafter it spread to other parts of the
world and is now a prevalent technique everywhere.
“Iodised Salt.” Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia 14 June 2016. Wikipedia.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Iodised_salt&oldid=725310907>.
“Iodized Salt vs. Non-Iodized Salt | Dr. Weil.” Andrew Weil Advises.
<http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/QAA400874/Why-Buy-Iodized-Salt.html>.
Publications, Harvard Health. “Cut Salt - It Won’t Affect Your Iodine Intake.” Harvard Health.
<http://www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/cut-salt-it-wont-affect-your-iodine-intake>.

46
Please refer to page 26

Dextrose is the Dexo-rotatory form of glucose. It is used in many compounds and process
47

especially in baking products as a sweetener and in the medical industry

“Dextrose.” Healthline. Web.
<http://www.healthline.com/health/dextrose>.
“Glucose.” Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia 22 June 2016. Wikipedia. Web.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Glucose&oldid=726444416>.
36 Part 2: Process

Flowchart - Overall
 Project Report: Century Chemicals Ltd. 37

Part 1: Introduction 07

Part 2: Process 15

Part 3: Conclusion 37
• Uses of Salt.................... 38
• Conclusion....................42
38 Part 3: Conclusion

Uses of Salt
Salt finds use in many products. It is used in Industries, by households, by
factories, in dairies, in dye companies and many more places. You would
be amazed to know the places where it is used. One site even says that salt
has about 14,000 Industrial Uses48!! (Only Industrial – there are household
uses as well!!)

In this section I have classified the uses into two major parts – Industrial
Use and Household Use.

Salt Tree49

“Industrial Salt.” Cargill.

48

<http://www.cargill.com/salt/products/industrial/>.
49
“Salt Uses.”
<http://eusalt.com/salt-uses>.
 Project Report: Century Chemicals Ltd. 39

Household Uses
• Boiling Water –
Salt added to water increases the Boiling point of the water, thereby
making the cooking process faster

• Cooking –
It is used in cooking generally, for taste.

• Preservative –
Salt is used as a preservative in many household items such as pickles,
tomato ketchup and more.

• Cleaning –
Salt is often used for cleaning various things in the kitchen, such as
sinks, greasy pans, stained cups etc.

• Laundry –
Salt is also used in Laundry to clean wine and color stains and in
coloring the clothes.
It is also used to brighten color – often in saris and Dresses – as is
prevalent in India.

• Freshness –
Along with acting as a preservative for food items, salt also keeps
plucked flowers in flower vase fresh.

• Anti-Freeze
Salt is used as an Anti-Freeze in many homes. For instance Wine is kept
in the wine cellars in brine. The top layer of ice was formed easily and
this kept the water underneath it from cooling.

• Detach Leeches
Leeches die as salt is sprinkled on them.

• Baths
Salt is used in Baths as well.
40 Part 3: Conclusion

Industrial Uses
• Preservative –
It acts as a preservative for various products.

• Tooth Brush Industry –

Salt is also used in the making a Tooth Brush.

• Chemical Industry –
Salt is utilized the most in the chemical Industry. It is used in the
production of Chlorine50 51 and Caustic soda52 (NAOH – Sodium
Hydroxide) and Soda Ash (Na2CO3)53.

• Pulp and Paper Industry –

For, bleaching and washing the pulp.

• Textiles Industry –
Salt is used in the Leather Industry for Leather Tanning. If is also a major
product in the Dyeing Industry54.

• Petroleum –
It is an additive in Petroleum to form various products.
50
Chlorine is produced by the electrolysis of table salt (NaCl). The process of producing
Chlorine from Table salt (Brine) is known as the Chloralkali Process. NaCl is an Electrolyte in all
three Chloralkali processes – Mercury Cell Process, Diaphragm Cell Process and Membrane
Cell Process.
“Chlorine Production.” Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia 29 Apr. 2016. Wikipedia.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Chlorine_production&oldid=717737921>.

Caustic Soda – NaOH is produced, as a by-product, in all the three Chloralkali processes.
51 52

“Chloralkali Process.” Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia 28 Mar. 2016. Wikipedia. Web.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Chloralkali_process&oldid=712274580>.

The Solvay process – Brine is a major product used in the production of Soda Ash, the process
53

being known as the Solvay process.

“Solvay Process.” Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia 13 June 2016. Wikipedia. Web.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Solvay_process&oldid=725068184>.
54
Salt is used in the Dyeing Industry in three major ways:
Since it has a very high affinity for water, Salt is used to drive the dye into the cloth in the textile
Industry.
It is used as an Electrolyte for the absorption and fixing of the dye in the material.
It also improves the affinity of the dye towards the cloth, thereby making it easier to stick
My mentor explained that the crystalline salt packed in Century Chemicals is used in the
Dyeing Industry tremendously.
“Function of Salt in the Textile Wet Processing - Textile Learner.” Web.
<http://textilelearner.blogspot.in/2013/02/function-of-salt-in-textile-wet.html>.
 Project Report: Century Chemicals Ltd. 41

• Pharmaceutical Companies –
Salt has two important Ions in it – Sodium and Chlorine. These Ions are
utilized by the Pharmaceutical Companies for making various medicines.
Even the basic remedy made at homw, for a sore throat is using salt55.

• Animal Industry –
Salt is widely used in the animal industry in animal feeds, since they also
require the same nutrition that we do.

• Dairy Industry –
Salt is used widely in the Dairy Industry. The butter that we eat contains
salt in it. That is why it tastes a bit salty. The very fine salt collected from
Century Chemicals is sold to Amul Butter Ltd., where they dissolve of it
with water (at a particular concentration) and spray it finely while making
butter.

• De-icing
Salt is used as a De-icing Agent in many places and for many
substances. It is used to De-ice roads, playgrounds and many areas56.

• Making Ice-creams –
Salt is, or rather was (am not too sure about the times now), used in
making ice-creams. I have experienced this process first hand.
The process was simple. There were two containers taken one bigger
that the other. The smaller one held the milk to be frozen, while the
larger one held a lot of ice. Salt was added to that Ice to stop it from
freezing. A person rotated the inner container using stick inserted in the
container Soon the milk started freezing and you got to eat fresh ice-
creame.

These are but a few uses. I am unable to list them all, as nor I, nor even the
shift engineer for 3pm to 11pm of the Century Chemicals plant was able to
pinpoint all the uses of salt (I did ask him to. He pinpointed many, but then
said “These are but few uses……”57)

55
I remember my mother giving me a mixture of salt and turmeric in water when I had a bad
throat. It was effective!!

De-icing is a process where salt is sprinkled on ice. This lowers the freezing point of water,
56

making it easier to melt.

57
In Conversation with the shift engineer and my Mentor – Mr.
42 Part 3: Conclusion

Conclusion
To Conclude, My experience with the Century Chemicals Limited Company
has been fantastic. I have learnt the process of making salt – right from its
extraction to its purification and packaging. It is a marvel that such small
molecules have such big journeys of their own.

I have a learnt a lot from this process, besides learning about salt. This
process has, indirectly, helped me in understanding many concepts that
I had studied in my school. I also got to know new things, for instance
the various process to make chlorine! Thus, this project has enriched my
understanding in Chemistry, on top of all the benefits that I have gained
from it.

Taking your leave now, if this report has piqued your interest, I would urge
the readers of this report to try and visit a salt industry, if you can. No one
will deny you a visit if you have a pure heart and are really interested in
knowing something beside your course. I am sure many surprises await you
there, possibly more than you even read in this paper. If you cannot visit
a salt industry, then try and visit any other industry near your house (I am
sure some or the other exist). They will enrich your knowledge and develop
your interest. Remember, even the smallest and the most basic of products
that we use have their own history of making behind it…..

So, goodbye now, have a Happy Visit!!

Project Report: Century Chemicals Ltd. 43
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