ALTERNATIVE HIGHWAY DEICING CHEMICALS

A search has been made for road deicing chemicals to replace sodium chloride (NaC1). The impetus for this search stems from the numerous drawbacks associated with the current extensive use of NaCl as a road deicer. All classes of chemical compounds were reviewed. Deletions from the sum total were made on the basis of pertinent criteria such as water solubility and freezing point lowering, corrosion, toxicity, relative cost or cost potential, effect on soils and plants, on water supplies, flammability, etc. Low molecular weight and high solubility were primary qualifications. Waste products were considered as possible raw material sources. Two candidate deicers have been selected which, if used, might result in total costs about one-half those associated with the use of NaCl. Both materials can operate at temperatures below that at which NaCl becomes ineffective. Both can be made from waste cellulose. Neither is corrosive. One of them, methanol, reacts almost immediately upon contact with snow and ice but is less persistent than the other candidate or than NaCl. The other candidate, calcium magnesium acetate (CMA) acts at about the same rate as NaCl in the temperature range of common activity and shows about the same persistence. By strong contrast with NaCl, CMA is a corrosion inhibitor, is beneficial to most soils and has no potential for harming drinking supplies. /Authors/

• Record URL:
  http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/sr/sr185/185-043.pdf
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/0360859X
• Supplemental Notes:
  • This Paper appeared in TRB Special Report 185, Snow Removal and Ice Control Research.Distribution, posting, or copying of this PDF is strictly prohibited without written permission of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved
• Corporate Authors:

  Transportation Research Board

  500 Fifth Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001
• Authors:
  • Dunn, Stanley A
  • Schenk, Roy U
• Conference:
  • Second International Symposium on Snow Removal and Ice Control Research
  • Location: Hanover New Hampshire, United States
  • Date: 1978-5-15 to 1978-5-19
• Publication Date: 1979

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 261-269
• Monograph Title: SNOW REMOVAL AND ICE CONTROL RESEARCH
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Board Special Report
  • Issue Number: 185
  • Publisher: Transportation Research Board
  • ISSN: 0360-859X

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Chemical compounds; Corrosion; Costs; Deicing chemicals; Environmental impacts; Flammability; Freezing; Molecular weight; Plants; Sodium chloride; Soils; Temperature; Toxicity; Water
• Old TRIS Terms: Substitutes
• Subject Areas: Environment; Finance; Geotechnology; Highways; Maintenance and Preservation; Materials;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00193889
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS, TRB, ATRI, STATEDOT
• Created Date: Jun 13 1979 12:00AM