OBSERVED CHARACTERISTICS OF CHEMICAL DEICERS DURING THE WINTER 1970-1971

TO OBSERVE THE RELATIVE EFFECTIVENESS OF CHEMICAL DEICERS, THREE DIFFERENT AMOUNTS OF SODIUM CHLORIDE WERE COMPARED WITH THE SAME AMOUNTS OF SODIUM CHLORIDE WITH AN ADDED UNIFORM AMOUNT OF A 50% PROPYLENE GLYCOL AND WATER SOLUTION. LABORATORY TESTS WERE CONDUCTED TO MEASURE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF DIFFERENT CONCENTRATIONS OF THE GLYCOL-WATER SOLUTION. THE RESULTS INDICATE THAT A 40 PERCENT PROPYLENE GLYCOL SOLUTION IS THE MINIMUM CONCENTRATION TO BE CONSIDERED. WHILE THERE WAS POOR CONTROL OVER AMOUNTS OF SODIUM CHLORIDE ACTUALLY APPLIED, THE GLYCOL-SALT COMBINATION DEMONSTRATED THE FASTER MELTING CHARACTERISTICS. THIS WAS FURTHER SUPPORTED BY THE RESULTS OF TWO ADDITIONAL LIMITED FIELD TESTS. WHAT EFFECT DIFFERENT CONCENTRATION WOULD HAVE ON THE SPEED OF MELTING, AND THE DIFFERENCES AMONG INDIVIDUAL COMMERCIAL DEICERS, IS STILL UNKOWN. THERE IS A NEED TO DETERMINE FOR EACH PRODUCCT THE DEGREE OF TOXICITY, CORROSIVENESS, AND HARMFUL EFFECTS DUE TO CHEMICAL INTERACTION WITH ANTICAKING COMPOUNDS ADDED TO THE SODIUM CHLORIDE.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Item 19, 20 PP, 2 FIG, 1 TAB, 6 PHOT, 6 REF
• Corporate Authors:

  Connecticut Department of Transportation

  Bureau of Highways, 24 Wolcott Hill Road, P.O. Drawer A
  Wethersfield, CT  United States  06109
• Authors:
  • Kasinskas, M M
• Publication Date: 1971-6

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Deicers (Equipment); Deicing chemicals; Glycols; Snow and ice control; Sodium chloride; Sodium chloride
• Uncontrolled Terms: Deicers
• Subject Areas: Highways; Maintenance and Preservation; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00218875
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS, STATEDOT
• Created Date: Mar 20 1972 12:00AM