ICE-MELTING PROPERTIES AND STORAGE CHARACTERISTICS OF CHEMICAL MIXTURES FOR WINTER MAINTENANCE

LABORATORY TESTS ON CALCIUM CHLORIDE AND SODIUM CHLORIDE IN ICE MELTING ARE REVIEWED. A HIGHER RATE OF ICE MELTING IS SHOWN FOR CALCIUM CHLORIDE. CALCIUM CHLORIDE MELTS ICE FASTER BECAUSE OF ITS GREATER MOISTURE-ATTRACTING ABILITY AND THE PRESENCE OF MOISTURE ACTS TO SPEED THE INITIAL ICE MELTING. SODIUM CHLORIDE REQUIRES A RELATIVE HUMIDITY OF 75 TO 100 PERCENT TO ATTRACT MOISTURE EASILY. FIELD TESTS WERE CONDUCTED TO DETERMINE UNDER WHAT CONDITIONS THE TWO CHEMICALS CAN BE STORED. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR STORAGE OF MIXTURES OF SALT AND CALCIUM CHLORIDE ARE: TYPE 1 OR TYPE 2 CALCIUM CHLORIDE CAN BE USED IN THE FOLLOWING PROPORTIONS WITH ROCK SALT CONTAINING MOISTURE UP TO 4%: (1) FOR SALT CONTAINING LITTLE OR NO MOISTURE, A FOUR-TO-ONE OR THREE-TO- ONE MIXTURE OF SALT TO CALCIUM CHLORIDE SHOULD BE USED TO ACHIEVE GOOD STORAGE CHARACTERISTICS, (2) FOR SALT CONTAINING 2% MOISTURE, A TWO-TO-ONE MIXTURE OF SALT TO CALCIUM CHLORIDE IS INDICATED, AND (3) UP TO 4% SALT MOISTURE, A THREE-TO-TWO MIXTURE OF SALT TO CALCIUM CHLORIDE IS INDICATED. CALCIUM CHLORIDE CAN BE STORED IN BULK WHEN PROTECTED FROM DIRECT PRECIPITATION. INDICATIONS ARE THAT PRACTICAL PROPORTIONS OF SALT TO CALCIUM CHLORIDE CAN BE PREMIXED AND STORED WITHOUT DIFFICULTY.

• Record URL:
  http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/hrbbulletin/220/220-002.pdf
• Supplemental Notes:
  • No 220, pp 14-24, 8 FIG, 6 TAB, 2 REF, 1 APP 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.
• Authors:
  • Dickinson, William E
• Publication Date: 1959

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Pagination: 11p
• Monograph Title: Ice melting properties of chloride salt mixtures
• Serial:
  • Highway Research Board Bulletin
  • Issue Number: 220
  • Publisher: Highway Research Board

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Calcium chloride; Cold weather; Field tests; Halite; Handling and storage; Humidity; Ice; Laboratory tests; Melting; Moisture content; Operations; Protection; Sodium chloride; Storage facilities
• Old TRIS Terms: Precipitation
• Subject Areas: Administration and Management; Freight Transportation; Highways; Maintenance and Preservation; Security and Emergencies; Terminals and Facilities;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00218403
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Sep 16 1994 12:00AM