Halite from California box with 54 pieces.

Halite, also called rock salt or cliff salt, is a mineral, a halide. It consists of pure sodium chloride, which, like table salt, has the chemical composition NaCl. It has a cubic face-centered halite or rock salt structure with a rib of 564.02 pm. The space group is Fm3m. Halite is an important source for the extraction of sodium, often in the form of caustic soda or sodium hydroxide: NaOH, and of chlorine. This process is the basis for an extensive branch of the chemical industry. NaCl is a highly soluble salt that can be formed by evaporation in desert conditions. There are also salt deposits in the east of the Netherlands. The AkzoNobel company partly owes its origins to this.