Bulk Salt for Chlor-Alkali Membrane Cells — Spec, Purity & Supplier Selection
How to specify bulk salt for chlor-alkali membrane-cell electrolysis. Critical SO₄ ≤ 0.08%, Ca + Mg limits, ion-exchange resin compatibility, PVC production grade. Egyptian sea salt premium chlor-alkali specs.
Membrane-cell chlor-alkali electrolysis is brutally demanding on salt purity. The wrong salt will foul a USD 200-400/m² ion-exchange membrane within weeks — a single membrane replacement can run hundreds of thousands of dollars on a 50-200 m² cell.
If you're a chlor-alkali producer or a salt buyer specifying for one, this guide covers what to look for, what kills membranes, and how Egyptian Bulk Sea Salt premium chlor-alkali grade meets the spec.
What kills ion-exchange membranes
- Sulphate (SO₄) — competes with chloride for membrane sites. Limit: ≤ 0.08% (preferably ≤ 0.05%).
- Calcium (Ca²⁺) — precipitates on the cathode side as Ca(OH)₂, blinds the membrane. Limit: ≤ 50 ppm (0.005%).
- Magnesium (Mg²⁺) — same precipitation issue + harder to remove via ion exchange. Limit: ≤ 20 ppm (0.002%).
- Iron (Fe) — catalyses oxidation reactions, brown-staining the membrane. Limit: ≤ 1 ppm.
- Heavy metals (Pb, Hg, Cd, As) — accumulate, toxify, and displace useful sites. Limit: ≤ 1 ppm each.
- Iodine (I) — causes spurious side reactions. Specify iodine-free.
Our Premium Chlor-Alkali Sea Salt — full spec
SKU PS_SEA_CHEM_PCA — Egyptian Bulk Sea Salt — Premium Chlor-Alkali Low-SO₄
| Parameter | Value | Method |
|---|---|---|
| NaCl | ≥ 99.5% | Argentometric titration |
| Moisture | ≤ 0.30% | LOD at 105°C |
| SO₄ | ≤ 0.08% | Gravimetric BaCl₂ |
| Ca | ≤ 50 ppm | EDTA / AAS |
| Mg | ≤ 20 ppm | EDTA / AAS |
| Fe | ≤ 1 ppm | AAS |
| Pb | ≤ 1 ppm | ICP-MS |
| Hg | ≤ 1 ppm | ICP-MS |
| Cd | ≤ 1 ppm | ICP-MS |
| As | ≤ 1 ppm | ICP-MS |
| Iodine | Not detected | Ion chromatography |
| Particle size | 0.30-1.50 mm | Sieve analysis |
| Bulk density | 960-1080 kg/m³ | Tap density |
Vacuum-evaporated from purified Egyptian sea brine. Compatible with all major membrane suppliers (Asahi Kasei AGC, Chemours Nafion, AGC Engineering CMV).
PVC production grade
For PVC producers using membrane-cell chlorine as a feedstock, our PVC Production Sea Salt variant has slightly tighter Fe control (≤ 0.5 ppm) since iron in the chlorine stream catalyses unwanted reactions in the EDC + VCM stages.
Why Egyptian Bulk Sea Salt for chlor-alkali
- Naturally low contamination — Mediterranean sea salt is naturally lower in Ca + Mg than Caspian / Dead Sea salt. Less purification work needed.
- Proximity — Egypt → GCC chlor-alkali plants in 2-3 days; Egypt → Indian subcontinent in 12-15 days; Egypt → SE Asia in 20-25 days. Cheaper freight than European salt landed at the same destination.
- Vast supply — we ship 50,000-200,000 MT/year of premium chlor-alkali grade, never short for repeat contracts.
- Independent third-party testing — every shipment can carry TÜV Austria / SGS / Intertek / Bureau Veritas certification on request.
Membrane life — the real economics
A chlor-alkali membrane should last 5+ years on premium salt. On marginal salt (SO₄ > 0.20%, Ca > 100 ppm), membrane life drops to 1-2 years. The cost difference between premium and marginal salt is typically USD 5-10/MT FOB. The cost difference in membrane replacement is USD 50-200/MT salt-equivalent. The premium grade is always cheaper on TCO.
What's next?
Submit a chlor-alkali salt RFQ — specify your membrane supplier (Asahi / Chemours / AGC) and your existing salt spec. We'll send a Proforma Invoice within 24 hours with FOB pricing + indicative freight to your nearest port.
Or browse the chlor-alkali application landing.
Quality at the Core — verified supply from Egypt Globe Group
The analysis above is published by the export desk of Egypt Globe Group, an Egyptian B2B commodity house incorporated in 2014 with an internal Quality Assurance division at its nucleus. Across salt, cement and clinker, fertilizers, chemicals, industrial minerals, agro and metals, every lot is laboratory-tested at the port of loading and released on a Certificate of Analysis before the Bill of Lading; independent inspection by TÜV Austria, SGS, Intertek or Bureau Veritas is available on every consignment, and a lot outside specification is rejected at the port rather than renegotiated.
| Commitment | What it means for the buyer |
|---|---|
| Zero tolerance on specification deviation | No re-grading or renegotiation after the fact — an out-of-spec lot does not load |
| Per-lot laboratory verification | Certificate of Analysis or Mill Test Certificate issued before the Bill of Lading |
| Independent third-party inspection | ISO/IEC 17020 / 17025 bodies at any of seven Egyptian ports; retained samples held 90 days |
| Laycan and grading discipline | Documented Notice of Readiness and Statement of Facts; sieve, assay and moisture verified per lot |
- Quality & compliance — the QA charter, inspection partners and destination conformity programmes
- Inspection & QC · Trade documentation · Loading ports
- Request a quote — priced FOB / CIF / CFR offer, sample Certificate of Analysis and inspection protocol within 24 hours
Ready for a quote?
FOB / CIF / CFR pricing from 7 Egyptian ports — turnaround within 24 hours.
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