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https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/27432/critical-issues-in-transportation-for-2024-and-beyond

CORROSIVE EFFECTS OF DEICING SALTS ON AUTOMOBILES

LONG-TERM TESTS WITH STANDARD AUTOMBOBILES WERE MADE BY THREE ORGANIZATIONS---THE AMERICAN PUBLIC WORKS ASSOCIATION, THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF CORROSION ENGINEERS, AND THE SALT INSTITUTE---TO STUDY THE EFFECTS OF DEICING SALTS UNDER COMMUTER-DRIVING CONDITIONS IN U.S. AND CANADIAN CITIES THAT EXPERIENCE HARD WINTERS. TWO TESTS COVERED THREE WINTERS; THE OTHER, TWO. ALL CARS WERE DRIVEN ALL YEAR LONG. PROCEDURES AND RESULTS FROM EACH TEST ARE DESCRIBED AND DISCUSSED. TWO OF THE TESTS REPRESENT A DEPARTURE FROM PREVIOUS EXPERIMENTS IN THAT COMPLETE RELIANCE WAS PLACED ON DATA FROM ELECTRICAL RESISTANCE PROBES RATHER THAN ON WEIGHT LOSS COUPONS. THE PROBE ELEMENT IS NOT SIMILAR TO UNDERBODY AREAS IN THAT IT DOES NOT TEND TO DEVELOP HEAVY DEPOSITS OF ROAD SOILS AND CORROSION PRODUCTS; HENCE IT IS MORE RESPONSIVE TO SHORT-TERM VARIATIONS IN CONDITIONS. DIRECT CONVERSION OF ELECTRICAL RESISTANCE PROBE READINGS TO CORROSION RATE IS NOT DESIRABLE UNLESS A CAREFUL, DIRECT CORRELATION HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED WITH COUPONS OR BODY METAL CORROSION RATES. THREE MAJOR FINDINGS EMERGED FROM THE TESTS: (1) WITH CERTAIN QUALIFICATIONS, DEICING SALT INHIBITORS ARE NOT EFFECTIVE; (2) ATMOSPHERIC CORROSION RATES IN URBAN AND SUBURBAN LOCATIONS WERE NEARLY IDENTICAL; AND (3) THE EFFECTS OF DEICING SALT CAN BE APPRECIABLY REDUCED BY EXPOSURE TO UNSALTED CONDITIONS FOR A PERIOD OF EIGHT MONTHS OR LESS. THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THESE FINDINGS IS DICUSSED, AND RECOMMENDATIONS AFFECTING MAINTENANCE OPERATIONS ARE MADE.

  • Supplemental Notes:
    • Vol 10, No 11, PP 38-43, 5 FIG, 7 TAB, 7 REF
  • Authors:
    • PALMER, J D
  • Publication Date: 1971-11

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Filing Info

  • Accession Number: 00217171
  • Record Type: Publication
  • Files: TRIS
  • Created Date: Dec 30 1971 12:00AM