Following our recent blog post which explored what synthetic sea water is, we now take a look at the uses of synthetic sea water.
A Quick Recap – What Is Synthetic Sea Water?
Synthetic sea water also goes by the names of artificial sea water (ASW) and substitute ocean water. It is a mixture of water, mineral salts and vitamins. These ingredients can be used in different quantities and combinations to create synthetic sea water.
Uses of Synthetic Sea Water
Laboratory grade synthetic sea water has a variety of uses across different industries. As a simulation of ‘real’ sea water, the uses of synthetic sea water include:
- Chemical processing, lab analysis and testing
- Corrosion studies: synthetic sea water can be used to test and study the effects of sea water on materials such as metals, plastics, coatings, paint and ceramics. The benefit of using synthetic sea water is that the testing can be accelerated
- Oceanographic research and calibrating ocean instruments: using synthetic sea water creates a standard environment which allows for consistent testing
- Making synthetic salts
- Synthetic sea water also has applications in marine biology and in reef and marine aquariums. It supports marine life and allows organisms such as algae, plants and animals to survive
- As a preservative of muscle tissue
Synthetic sea water is not fit for human consumption – please do not drink it!
