hallita

Hallita is a less common spelling used in some Spanish-language texts to refer to halita, the mineral form of sodium chloride (NaCl). In standard mineralogy, halita is the accepted name. The term hallita may appear as a variant spelling or misspelling in non-specialized sources.

Halita is a halide mineral and the principal source of common salt. It forms by the evaporation of saline waters in coastal lagoons, salt lakes, and inland basins, producing extensive evaporite deposits. It occurs worldwide in sedimentary rocks and salt reserves, often associated with gypsum, anhydrite, sylvite, and carnallite. Large deposits are mined for food-grade salt and industrial chemical production.

Physical properties: Halita has the chemical formula NaCl and crystallizes in the isometric system, commonly forming cubic crystals. In hand specimens it is colorless or white, though impurities can tint it pink, red, blue, or gray. Cleavage is perfect in three directions; it has a vitreous luster and a hardness of 2 to 2.5 on the Mohs scale. It is soluble in water and has a relatively low density, about 2.16 g/cm3.

Uses and significance: Halita is the primary source of table salt and of sodium chloride for industrial uses, including chlorine production and de-icing. It also serves as a key material in geological studies of evaporite sequences and as a mineral indicator of past arid climates.