There is much to learn about salt. Salt, sodium chloride, touches our lives more than any other chemical compound. The chemical properties and physical properties of sodium chloride are a treasure to mankind. Salt or salt-derived products are ubiquitous in our material world and the very cells of our bodies swim in a saline solution. We take for granted the salt crystals that make our foods safe and palatable and we give thanks for salt s lifesaving properties when applied to slick winter roads. Most are unaware of the 14,000 known uses for salt, how it s produced and our success in ensuring the environmental compatibility as it provides the foundation for the quality of our lives.