Non-caking salt composition, preparation process and use thereof

1. A process for the preparation of a sodium chloride composition comprising an iron complex of tartaric acid wherein between 55 and 90% by weight of the tartaric acid is meso-tartaric acid, the process comprising the steps of spraying an aqueous treatment solution comprising an iron complex of tartaric acid, with between 55 and 90% by weight of said tartaric acid being meso-tartaric acid, and having a pH of between 3 and 5 onto the sodium chloride composition; wherein the aqueous treatment solution comprising the iron complex of tartaric acid, with between 55 and 90% by weight of said tartaric acid being meso-tartaric acid, is obtained by a process comprising:

(i) preparing an aqueous mixture comprising between 35 and 65% by weight of a di-alkali metal salt of L-tartaric acid, a di-alkali metal salt of D-tartaric acid, or a mixture of di-alkali metal salts of L-tartaric acid, D-tartaric acid, and optionally meso-tartaric acid, and between 2 and 15% by weight of an alkali metal or alkaline metal hydroxide,

(ii) stirring and heating the aqueous mixture for between 3 and 200 hours to a temperature of between 100° C. and its boiling point until between 55 and 90% by weight of tartaric acid has been converted to meso-tartaric acid,

(iii) cooling and optionally adding water,

(iv) optionally adjusting the pH to a pH of between 5 and 9,

(v) stirring and admixing the obtained mixture with an iron(II) salt, an iron(III) salt or a mixture thereof,

(vi) and if the pH is outside the range of between 3 and 5, adjusting the pH of the mixture from step (v) to a pH of between 3 and 5.

2. The process for the preparation of the sodium chloride composition according to claim 1 , wherein the pH is adjusted by addition of an acid selected from the group consisting of HCl, formic acid, oxalic acid, sulphuric acid, and any combination thereof.

3. The process for the preparation of the sodium chloride composition according to claim 1 , wherein the alkali metal in the tartaric acid salt comprises sodium and wherein the alkali metal hydroxide comprises sodium hydroxide.

4. The process for the preparation of the sodium chloride composition according to claim 1 , wherein the iron(III) source is FeCl 3 or FeCl(SO 4 ).

5. The process for the preparation of the sodium chloride composition according to claim 1 , wherein the aqueous treatment solution comprises between 0.5 and 25% by weight of tartaric acid, with between 55 and 90% by weight thereof being meso-tartaric acid.

6. The process for the preparation of the sodium chloride composition according to claim 1 , wherein the molar ratio between iron and tartaric acid is between 0.1 and 2, the molar ratio being a ratio of the molar amount of iron divided by the total molar amount of tartaric acid.

7. The process for the preparation of the sodium chloride composition according to claim 2 , wherein the aqueous solution is sprayed onto the sodium chloride composition in such an amount as to obtain a concentration of between 1 and 200 ppm of iron in said non-caking sodium chloride composition.

8. The process for the preparation of the sodium chloride composition according claim 1 , wherein the aqueous treatment solution has a pH of between 4 and 4.5 onto the sodium chloride composition.