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More than you really want to know about “salt”


SEE OUR LIST OF DE-ICERS, ALONG WITH THE PROS AND CONS OF EACH OPTION



Understanding the characteristics of various types of de-icing agents can make all the difference in efficiently reducing the amount of snow and ice around your building. Rock salt is the most commonly used and well-known de-icer; however, there are a range of other formulas and products that can be more effective under certain conditions.

When choosing a de-icer, consider the climate in your area, since different chemicals have different working temperatures. You should also research whether the de-icer will damage concrete, pavement, railings or other structures and carpets. Additionally, it's important to be aware of the environmental impact of the de-icer that you choose, since some are very harmful to the environment.

There is no one-size-fits-all de-icer, as Ross Alger, director of the Institute for Snow Research at Michigan Technological University, tella Mother Earth News: "Out of all the products I've looked at, there's no one magical chemical. There are positives and negatives to each. Any time you put something into the environment, you face detrimental effects."

So, make sure you know the differences between de-icing agents before you make a final decision.

Here are the pros and cons of several de-icers to help you select the best one:

Sodium chloride

Pros: NaCl is also known as rock salt. It is the most commonly used de-icing chemical, with 10 to 14 million tons of it used yearly in the US and Canada, according to the University of Nebraska - Lincoln. It is the cheapest de-icer, generally priced at $10 or less per 50 pounds. It is effective between 15 and 20 degrees Fahrenheit.

Cons: Rock salt is harmful to both physical structures and materials and the environment. It can damage concrete, asphalt, stone and brick, and should not be used on concrete that is less than a year old. According to Mother Earth News, even small amounts of NaCl can leach into nearby soil, changing its composition and harming grass and plants. It can also contaminate groundwater and is lethal to pets.

Calcium chloride

Pros: CaCl has a melting temperature of -10 degrees Fahrenheit and gives off heat as it melts, which makes it work faster than other de-icers. It also has a lower environmental impact than other chemicals. It comes in liquid form, as well as in flakes and pellets.

Cons: Calcium chloride damages carpets and tiles and corrodes metal. It is less harmful to plants than other chemicals, but it can damage them with over-application.

Potassium chloride

Pros: Potassium chloride, or KCl, is similar to potassium-based fertilizer formulas and is touted as being beneficial to plant health, according to the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. It is more environmentally friendly and safer for pets, except those with kidney diseases.

Cons: It has a higher working temperature, at 25 degrees Fahrenheit. It is more expensive, priced at $20 and above per 50 pounds. Potassium chloride can also be hard to find on its own, and is more often found in de-icing blends.

Magnesium chloride

Pros: MgCl is effective at -13 degrees Fahrenheit and is minimally damaging to the environment. It is very fast-acting and more effective at de-icing than rock salt.

Cons: Over-application can damage plants. It corrodes metal and draws moisture from air. If too much moisture is drawn, it can keep pavement wet.

Calcium magnesium acetate

Pros: Calcium magnesium acetate is very effective for concrete-heavy areas that cannot suffer any damage, such as parking garages. It is less corrosive than chloride-based products, is biodegradable and will not harm the environment when used in small amounts.

Cons: CMA is one of the most expensive de-icing chemicals and can cost 30 times more than rock salt. It can also make pavement slippery, and, since it is bought in solid form and then liquefied prior to application, it can refreeze.

Urea

Pros: This nitrogen-based salt is as cheap as sodium chloride and has a minimal effect on plants and grass. It is also non-corrosive and safer around pets, and it is frequently used by gardeners.

Cons: The University of Nebraska–Lincoln notes that nitrogen-based salts are usually avoided because of the potential of runoff into water sources, and that in many areas this salt is not approved for de-icing.

Potassium acetate

Pros: It has a freeze point of -76 degrees Fahrenheit and is a high-performing de-icer. It is also biodegradable and non-corrosive. Potassium acetate is safer than salt for steel-heavy areas and structures, and it is used for airports and other major facilities.

Cons: While minimally environmentally damaging, it can reduce oxygen levels in water. It is also one of the higher priced de-icers, along with calcium magnesium acetate.

Sand

Pros: Although sand does not melt ice, it is a popular choice for making roads, parking lots and walkways less slippery. It is non-corrosive and is cheap and easy to find.

Cons: Sand accumulates, clogging storm drains and sometimes causing flooding. After winter ends and the sand has dried, it can create problems with dust. Also, sand can build up in bodies of water, brining contaminants with it and burying plants and organisms at the bottom.

Brine or Beet Juice

Pros: Some say beet juice or pickle brine is quicker and less toxic for melting ice on roads, etc. It also has less of an impact on the environment, as it's made from natural materials. It can lower the melting point of water to as low as -20 degrees F.

Cons: The downside to using beet juice to melt ice is that if it makes its way into streams, its sugars can attract germs that feed on the oxygen in water that many animals need to survive.


https://www.dudesolutions.com/blog/pros-and-cons-of-different-de-icers

Years back I thought I was smart to use rock salt to deice our sidewalk, and concreate step.

That stuff can be dangerous - not just used as intended either. I'm convinced moose like those roadsides partially because the vegetation is enriched by road "salt" and those things are a road hazard!

Up here, when they are spraying liquid on the roads, we refer to it as "icing the highway".

One year we had a 18 month old bull moose in the neighborhood. We named him "Ornery", because he was. At one time or another, nearly everyone was charged. Me, two different incidents.

I stepped out the door one morning to go to town to find him licking my F150 tailgate. No problem I thought- I'd just get in and drive away- hell- he's a good 12 feet away. He charged.

Inside, I dug out my wrist rocket and the biggest piece of split shot I could readily find and went back out. When he came at me again, I nailed him in the end of his nose, full draw, at about 10 feet. Apparently they are sensitive there!

I then went to town.

A couple months later I was out on the carport banging rivets on my boat with Ornery bedded down on the driveway some 40 yards away. I looked up to see him coming hard, and beat him to the door by inches. He actually stood there with his face pressing the glass, glaring at me. Guess he didn't like loud sounds while trying to sleep.... I had my Pentax SLR on the upper deck stairs , which he knocked off onto the concrete car port and broke, coming after me at the door.

I think my neighbor ate him shortly after that, tho it was months to moose season yet.

Plastic buckshot for the shotgun, or marbles in the wrist rocket are your huckleberries.

I need Arizona, the salt we use is from a mine in central Utah.

While road salts are bad for metal vehicles, abrasives like sand or cinders aren't without consequences either. They end up in washes and streams, altering stream hydrology.

Regarding the bridges, many of the older bridges were constructed with uncoated rebar, and road salts got into the rebar, causing deck failures. Also got in to the superstructure causing damage. Modern bridges are built with epoxy coated rebar and super structures made with different steel alloys and designs to better withstand road salts.

Nature tries hard to get back what man makes, nature wins in time.

They epoxy coat the beam ends even on what is called weathering (untreated) steel. Inevitable joint failures result in salt eating the beam ends. We even go to the effort of pressure washing the beam ends after the winter season when budget allows. Salt = bridge remover, plain and simple. Nasty stuff. As far as decks, they do use epoxy rebar which helps, but there "should" be enough cover over the concrete to prevent infiltration on newer decks. Older decks have less cover on average due to loss of wearing surface and poor workmanship back then, plus you can run into poor consolidation of the concrete itself. One thing is for sure, we see all kinds of stuff which keeps it interesting.

The alternative would be to learn to drive on ice. It wasn't necessary to build an infrastructure that favoured long commutes over living near your employment but that is what we have done over the last fifty years. Now we have to try and keep the incompetent safe. Crap. GD

Pressure washing, that's done annually here to try to prolong the inevitable. Its built right in to the maintenance contracts every bridge, every year, must be washed no ifs ands or buts. Its a big job and gets complicated with environmental rules. A lot of them out here are hanging over salmon spawning streams so its timed in the spring to be done around the best time frame when there's no salmon spawning and no fish hatching. Usually in April. Its a very busy time for the bridge guys there's a ton of bridges to be done in a short time frame. In May a lot of the streams are loaded with salmon fry so its a no go. March is too early generally still sanding and salting going on up high. A lot of them need piping rigged up to the drains or tarps to keep the wash water from directly entering the creek or river as well.

I agree greydog. I think unfortunately that bus left 30 years ago I can't see them going back to not using it. Especially around with high traffic.

Salt degrades concrete as well as steel.

Sounds like road salt is almost as destructive as Daylight Savings Time

They use a brine solution here.
It sticks to the road, can be put down up to 3 days before
A snow and still be effective. Can even withstand some rain.

However, I have been on the limited access roads behind the application.
And it's still wet.

Now tell me,
If this [bleep] can stand cars running over it, for days during rain.

How could you possibly wash it out of the nooks and crannies
under a car? You know, those places that are the first t o rust out
anyway.


The Pa Turnpike is one of the biggest users of salt per mile in the
country. Sitting here about 3/8 of a mile away, I can hear the trucks
going down the ridge. We had a water tester come test for hardness.
She saw the ro ad and ask if it was the turnpike, the said
"Since you are so close, I'll test for salt. It's not a problem in this
area, unless you are close the turnpike. But, they deny having caused
it."

I have 3 times the recommeded salt in my water.