COMPOSITION AND REMOVAL OF AUTOMOBILE WINDSHIELD FILMS; FINAL REPORT

IN AN EFFORT TO ALLEVIATE THE PROBLEM OF IMPAIRED CAUSED BY WINDSHIELD FILMS, THE ORIGIN AND NATURE OF DIRTFORMING WINDSHIELD FILMS AND THE MOST EFFECTIVE METHODS OF REMOVING THEM WAS INVESTIGATED. THE MATERIALS PRODUCING WINDSHIELD FILM DURING THE EARLY STAGES OF A RAIN APPEAR TO BE THOSE SPLASHED UP FROM THE ROAD SURFACE. OF THE MATERIALS SPLASHED UP FROM THE ROAD SURFACE APPROXIMATELY THREE PERCENT IS COMPOSED OF ORGANIC CONSTITUENTS, WHICH ARE MAINLY OIL, OXIDIZED OIL, AND SMALL AMOUNTS OF RUBBER, ASPHALT, AND GREASE. THE MAIN MINERAL CONSTITUENTS OF WINDSHIELD FILMS ARE QUARTZ AND LAYERED SILICATES SUCH AS MICA AND CLAY MINERALS. MINOR MINERAL CONSTITUENTS ARE FELDSPAR AND CALCITE. THE MINERAL COMPOSITION OF THE FILMS REFLECTS THE LITHOLOGY OF THE PARTICULAR AGGREGATES USED IN THAT PARTICULAR SECTION OF ROAD. RESULTS OF TESTS OF THE COMMONLY USED GENERIC TYPES OF CLEANING AGENTS INDICATED THAT THE ALCOHOL-DETERGENT TYPE WAS SUPERIOR TO THE PREDOMINANTLY DETERGENT, PREDOMINANTLY ALCOHOL, AMMONIA, OR SILICONE EMULSION TYPES. /AUTHOR/

• Corporate Authors:

  Virginia Highway Research Council

  Charlottesville, VA  United States 
• Authors:
  • Plaster, R W
  • Ozol, M A
• Publication Date: 1970-6

Media Info

• Pagination: 3 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Cleaning; Cleansers; Drivers; Film; Materials selection; Surface course (Pavements); Vision; Windshield washers; Windshields
• Uncontrolled Terms: Removal
• Old TRIS Terms: Driver vision
• Subject Areas: Highways; Maintenance and Preservation; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00221170
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Feb 8 1971 12:00AM