Multiscale Study on the Mechanism of a Bio-Based Anticaking Agent for NaCl Crystals.

Caking constitutes a major problem for the flowability, transport, packaging, and consumption of hygroscopic granular crystalline materials such as salt. Sodium chloride is the most abundant salt on the earth and known to form strong lumps, mainly due to cycles of water uptake and water evaporation. We report on a multiscale study of the anticaking effect of the bio-based additive Fe-mTA, a metal-organic complex of iron (III) and meso-tartrate.