Figure 50 
PER CENT CONCENTRATION OF DISSOLVED 
ELEMENTS IN SEA WATER’ 
Per cent of Total 
Bienen Dissolved Elements 
Chlorine 58.3 
Sodium . B22 
Magnesium . 4.1 
Sulfur 27 
Calcium . 123 
Potassium e7, 
Bromine 0.20 
Carbon nae 0.09 
All others (about 70 
different elements) Trace 
Total. 100.0 
Excludes oxygen and hydrogen. 
are well developed and economically competitive. 
This oceanic area of interest has probably received 
much less attention by the public than is justified. 
As can be seen from Figure 51, nearly $400 
million of chemicals or chemically related materi- 
als are recovered from sea water each year.*° This 
includes desalinated water as well as the four types 
of minerals listed in the table. 
20Tbid., p. 119. 
The mineral with the largest tonnage and the 
greatest value is sodium chloride—common salt— 
accounting for about 45 per cent of the total 
value. The other four products include, in order of 
dollar value: magnesium metal, desalinated water, 
bromine, and magnesium compounds. No materi- 
als other than salt, water, bromine, magnesium, and 
its compounds are extracted now in commercial 
quantities from sea water. It is also of interest, 
looking at this table, to note the importance of sea 
water as a source of magnesium metal and bro- 
mine. About two-thirds of these minerals are 
obtained from the ocean. 
Figure 52 indicates the analogous figures for 
production in the United States.?2! The value of 
annual output of these minerals and desalinated 
water is $135 million. Magnesium metal, magne- 
sium compounds, and bromine account for almost 
90 per cent of the value of materials extracted in 
the United States from salt water (today salt and 
desalinated water make up only a small portion of 
the value of products recovered from sea water in 
the United States). 
b. Salt The technique of obtaining common salt 
by means of solar evaporation is an ancient process 
dating back to 2200 B.C. when it was first 
recorded in Chinese writings.*? It was discovered 
21 information supplied by W. F. MclIlhenny. 
22 chigley, GIMs Op. cit, p.3- 
Figure 51 
WORLD PRODUCTION OF CHEMICALS THAT CAN BE OBTAINED 
FROM SEA WATER! 
| 
Production eae, Per cent from Value from 
Sea Water Sea Water Sources 
Total pou) ($ million) 
Chemical Sea Water 
Salt : 118.6 29 173 
Magnesium Metal . 0.17 65 75 
Desalinated Water 241.0 59 51 
Bromine es 0.15 67 45 
Magnesium Compounds | 11.4? 6 41 
otal wo a. 385 
1 Estimated values for each commodity based on values reported in 1965 Minerals Yearbook. 
Estimated, figures not available. 
3 = Pre 
Includes magnesium from dolomitic lime. 
4 6 
Includes sea salt-bittern. 
VI-191 
