Comparative study of chemical deicers

TLDR: In this paper, the ice penetration and icemelting characteristics of seven commercially available chemical deicers that were tested at temperatures ranging from 0 deg F to 25 deg F are examined.

Abstract: The ice-penetration and ice-melting characteristics of seven commercially available chemical deicers that were tested at temperatures ranging from 0 deg F to 25 deg F are examined in this paper. The materials tested included four discrete deicing chemicals and three blends: sodium chloride, calcium chloride, potassium chloride, urea, sodium chloride with traces of carboxymethylcellulose, a sodium chloride/potassium blend, and a sodium chloride/urea blend. The ice penetration tests were conducted using a Plexiglas (trademark) dish containing a 1/8-in.-thick layer of ice. Deicers were placed on the ice surface at a selected rate. Melt brine was collected, measured, and reintroduced periodically with a syringe. The extensive data base resulting from the tests was used to compare the several classes of deicers with regard to their ability to melt and penetrate ice as a function of time and temperature, to establish lower temperature limits for deicer use, and to relate observed behavior to chemical and thermochemical properties of deicers.