# Explain this thing we call "salt"

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-thing-we-call-salt/340384>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [January 17, 2006, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-thing-we-call-salt/340384 "2006-01-17T18:16:02Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![spingears](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ebca7d/32.png) [@spingears](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spingears)\
**Post date:** [January 18, 2006, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-thing-we-call-salt/340384/21 "2006-01-18T02:17:45Z")

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> [@Rysdad](#):
>
> [From here, for example.](http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/news/feb03/0228saltcolumn.htm)Cleveland rocks = rock salt 🙂

A lot of salt is/has been used for deicing highways.  
Also applied as a solution prior to anticipated freezing/snow fall to forestall accumulations.  
A recent improvement is a new coating which can be applied to the road surface.  
It traps microscopic amounts of calcium chloride in its pores and releases them as needed. Doesn’t get scraped off with snow accumulations.

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**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\
**Post date:** [January 18, 2006, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-thing-we-call-salt/340384/22 "2006-01-18T02:34:30Z")

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> [@Rysto](#):
>
> Is that NaCl, though? I was under the impression that a different compound is used.

Usually it’s plain old rock salt, NaCl. Calcium chloride, magnesium chloride, calcium magnesium acetate and other salts are used as well.

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**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\
**Post date:** [January 18, 2006, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-thing-we-call-salt/340384/23 "2006-01-18T17:58:43Z")

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I’m going to have to get that book.

> [@Rysdad](#):
>
> [From here, for example.](http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/news/feb03/0228saltcolumn.htm)
> 
> Cleveland rocks = rock salt
> 
> 🙂

Very cool! So it looks like salt comes from the same places it did before, it’s just that our technology has made it cheaper and more readily available.

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