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Wednesday 13 January 2010

Why is rocksalt brown?

A couple of weeks back I posted a link to the Cheshire East gritting page. (http://www.cheshireeast.gov.uk/transport_and_travel/highways_and_roads/gritting.aspx)

I got sent this by a friend who read the post:
"I like the bit about rocksalt, which pulls you in by asking you if you've ever wondered why it's brown, then teases you with a link to the frequently asked questions page. Which says nothing about why it's brown."
And he's right. The page says:
Ever wondered why it's brown? Find out on our Frequently Asked Questions page!
When you follow the link it says nothing about rocksalt at all.

Nice to know it's all been proof read.

Anyway - I've search the internet and can't seem to find a definitive answer. By it's nature I wouldn't expect rocksalt to be white, but I don't know why it's brown.

Does anyone know?