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How does dye help speed up salt production from Dead Sea water?
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Salt crystal magnified.
In the production of salt from Dead Sea water, the addition of dye is used to accelerate the solar evaporation process.1
The dye functions by allowing the brine to absorb more heat from sunlight, even when the water is held in thinner layers. This increased heat absorption enables the use of shallower evaporation ponds, which in turn helps reduce the penetration of brine into the ground. By facilitating these conditions, the dye effectively hastens the concentration of the water necessary for salt production.1