Properly handling your deicer stockpile will not only save money and reduce waste, but it can also help your products perform at their best. How you store, formulate, and mix deicers affects how well they work both in your equipment and on the road surface.
First, it is important to stay informed about any product you are using or storing. Make sure you follow the guidelines on each safety data sheet (SDS) or material safety data sheet (MSDS).
Liquid deicers can breakdown under certain temperatures and will have stricter storage requirements than solid ice melt products. To protect the performance of anti-icers and liquid brines:
Solid deicers are generally more stable in storage than liquids. While it is not always possible to keep stockpiles in enclosed places, keeping them protected from the elements will help preserve performance.
Some deicers contain agricultural byproducts that contain carbohydrates (from beets, corn, etc.) and are more sensitive than inorganic solids like salt.
Moisture can reduce the shelf life of some deicing products. If your shed does not have access to interior storage, take precautions for products stored outside.
Some teams formulate, treat, or mix their deicing products on site or directly in the spreader with specialized equipment. Let’s look closer at how these actions can affect performance.
One practice mixes solid deicing products with abrasive aggregates like sand, gravel, or cinders. Here are some performance considerations to know when deciding to add solid abrasives:
“On average, one truckload of straight salt will treat the same length of highway as six truckloads of the salt/sand mixture.”
“Since abrasives do not melt ice, sand alone often does not provide the level of service desired. It can be used to create short term traction on top of snow or ice at any temperature range. Abrasives are the only product available that will work during very cold temperatures when the deicers are ineffective.”
Coating solid deicer granules with liquid additives (like magnesium chloride or calcium chloride) is sometimes done in an attempt to boost performance at lower temperatures. Since this does not create a homogenous mixture, these coatings can leach and run off. Leaching decreases performance of coated/treated solid deicers.
Organic products like beet juice, molasses, distillers’ solubles, and corn syrup are sometimes combined with deicers. However, these additives can actually decrease deicing performance:
“Organic additives do not melt snow or ice. If a deicer is diluted with organic additives, the total ice melt capacity will be decreased simply because there will be less deicer in the mix.” (Minnesota Department of Transportation)
Pre-wetting solid deicers can increase performance, decrease bounce and scatter, use less product, and kickstart the brining reaction. Product can be treated either in the stockpile right before use, or on board the vehicle with special equipment. Pre-wet deicer must be used right away in order for this to work.
Note: not all deicing products can give you pre-wet benefits; for example, pre-wetting liquid coated granules can leach these additives off and greatly reduce their performance.
If your stockpile looks like the image on the left, try stockpiling Ice Slicer next season!
Don't waste money on products that lose performance during storage. As an all natural, mineral product, Ice Slicer doesn't degrade or lose efficiency while you are waiting for the next storm.
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