What is Brine? | Brine Definition

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Brine is essentially salt water. A salt water solution is considered brine when the concentration of dissolved salt is 5% or higher. Brine is used to cook and preserve food products, cure cheese, de-ice roads, pickle vegetables, and even as a refrigerant. Adding salt to water lowers the freezing temperature. The lowest freezing point a brine solution can produce is -6⁰F. When it is used as a refrigerant, it is typically the secondary refrigerant. Salt also inhibits the production of bacteria, which is why brine is so widely used as a preservative.

Brine Molecular Structure

2 NaCl(aq) + 2 H2O(l) → 2 NaOH(aq) + H2(g) + Cl2(g)