Abstract:
Mixtures of the sodium salts of fatty acids with low molecular weight (acetic, formic, glycolic, and lactic) exhibit deicing properties comparable to sodium chloride. They can be manufactured from biomass by reaction with sodium carbonate or made from the acids directly by neutralization with sodium carbonate or sodium hydroxide. Preliminary data suggest that mixtures of sodium acetate with sodium formate may be effective alternative deicers. The only known drawbacks to these deicers are the presence of the sodium ion and their cost. The deicers are readily biodegradable, nontoxic, environmentally acceptable, and mildly or non-corrosive to steel. Tests indicate that the deicers will not cause concrete durability problems. Whether sodium carboxylate deicers truly represent an acceptable alternative to sodium chloride cannot be determined until actual field trials are completed.
Supplemental Notes:
This paper appears in Transportation Research Record No. 1387, Snow Removal and Ice Control Technology; Papers presented at the 3rd International Symposium on Snow Removal and Ice Control Technology, September 14-18, 1992, Minneapolis, Minnesota. 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
