What is Ice Melt? Selecting The Best Ice Melt For Your Facility

冬季几个月快速接近，这意味着冰雪正在途中，光滑的人行道和滑溜溜的停车场也在地平线上。作为企业所有者，您可能熟悉阴沉天气的危险以及湿滑人行道和入口处的相关危险。

Before the first snowfall, it is important to take the necessary steps to reduce or eliminate hazardous icy conditions outside your facility. The best way to avoid slips and falls due to icy sidewalks, parking lots, and entryways are with the use of the right ice melt.

在本文中，我们将在为您的设施选择最佳选择时，我们将覆盖不同类型的冰熔体以及考虑什么。

What is Ice Melt?

冰熔体通常在雪和冰之前应用或应用于已经形成的冰雪的顶部。

Ice melt or deicer lowers the freezing point of water, preventing the buildup of ice or breaking up pre-formed ice into liquid slush. It breaks the bond between the pavement or concrete and the ice for easier removal and the future prevention of ice and snow build-up.

Why are there different types of ice melt?

Although all deicer aims to melt ice, not all perform in the same conditions. Each type of ice melt compound will be effective in different applications when considering the product’s freezing temperature, form, shape, and effect on the environment.

Choosing the Best Ice Melt

There are many different types of ice melt, and there are several considerations when choosing the best ice melt for your facility. Understanding the conditions you will be using the ice melt in will allow you to choose the most effective compound.

当选择一个冰融化有6 c在sider to choose the best one:

1. Climate
2. 剩余除冰
3. 环境考虑因素
4. 冰融化形式
5. 冰融化Shape
6. 价钱

1. Climate

The first consideration when selecting an ice melt is to be aware of the product’s lowest effective temperature.

冰融化通过降低水的冰点来作用。冰熔体中使用的每个化合物具有不同的工作温度。

Using a product beyond its lowest effective temperature range will result in reduced or no ice removal. For example, applying an ice melt with a lowest effective temperature of 20°F in temperatures lower than 20°F will not allow the product to remove ice as quickly or effectively.

在极冷的温度下，释放热量或“放热”的冰熔体将更好。一些放热的冰熔体可以在低至-25°F的温度下有效。寒冷的温度限制了冰落顶部的水分量，使冰融化难以吸收液体。放热化合物释放其自身的热量，以增加冰上的水分量，使其产生更多量的液体溶液（或盐水）以穿透冰。

In moderately cold temperatures, “endothermic” deicers can be used to effectively remove ice.Endothermic ice melt works better in milder temperatures typically 20°F and above. Rather than releasing heat, endothermic deicers draw heat from the surroundings to dissolve.

2. Residual De-icing

The chemical makeup of the ice melt will affect how long the product continues to provide de-icing action after being applied. Ice melts with longer residual action will reduce the frequency in which ice melt will need to be applied in the future. Products which have longer residual action may be more expensive but will save costs on the amount of ice melt used and the labor needed to apply the ice melt.

通常，液体冰熔体通常提供更长的残余作用，因为与固体冰熔体相比，它们持续为盐水增加。

3. Environmental Considerations

选择右冰熔体时的另一个考虑因素是化学化合物如何影响您设施的周围区域。每种冰熔化的化合物可以对其与其接触的天然（植物，动物，水道，鱼类）和人造（门口，门口）区域产生一系列负面影响。

Vegetation (Plant Life)

Increasing concern for the environment and the use of sustainable products may require you to search for ice melt which is non-toxic or non-harmful to vegetation and animals. Ice melt is easily caught in run-off water and can contaminate groundwater. Vegetation and animal life can be affected by the salts in the run-off water.

Some ice melts have a lower risk of potential environmental damage and water pollution. For example, sodium chloride can be damaging to surrounding trees and plants but sodium acetate products are formulated to be more environmentally responsible.

Hardscapes (Concrete, brick, stone, pavement, metal grates, etc.)

某些化学品可以腐蚀于冰下的混凝土，路面或金属等硬表面。

For example, salt-based deicers can penetrate porous stone, freeze, and cause the surface to expand, resulting in flakes or cracks. Salts can also cause metal railings, grates, and door frames to rust or corrode.

冰融化形式

Ice melt is available in solid or liquid form.
最流行的冰融化是固体颗粒。

Solid ice melt works by absorbing moisture from the top of the ice, permeating downward, and creating a solution (or brine) to soften the bond between the ice and the ground surface.

Solid ice melt is applied using a sand or salt spreader.

Liquid ice melt is applied before snow or ice as a pretreatment. Unlike solid ice melt, liquid ice melt is already a brine. The brine prevents snow and ice from sticking to the sidewalk or parking lot.

Liquid ice melt is applied using a push/backpack sprayer, or a tanker truck.

5. Ice Melt Shape

Solid ice melt is available in different shapes. Round or evenly shaped ice melt has been found to be most effective at removing ice when compared to irregularly shaped or flaked particles.

圆形，固体脱落器向下熔化，向外均匀地熔化，使它们迅速地通过冰直线切割到地上，从而更快地移除冰。

Irregularly shaped particles melt horizontally as much as they do vertically downward, increasing the amount of time it takes to penetrate all the way down to the ground.

6.价格

The price of ice melt will vary on chemical make-up and manufacturer. In general, the following compounds are listed from most to least expensive.

• Sodium Acetate
• Potassium Chloride
• Urea
• Calcium Chloride
• 氯化镁
• Blends
• 氯化钠(Rock Salt)
• 氯化钠Liquid Brine

比较冰融化的类型：

了解在冰融化中寻找什么可以帮助更好地了解哪些化合物在您的设施中最有效。下面我们介绍了每种冰融化的一些最重要的特征。

Based on the approximate lowest effective melting temperature, we ranked the 8 most common types of ice melt:

1. Calcium Chloride
2. 氯化钠Liquid Brine
3. 氯化镁
4. Sodium Acetate
5. 氯化钠
6. Potassium Chloride
7. Urea
8. Blends

Keep in mind that the lowest effective temperature will vary by manufacturer.

1. Calcium Chloride Ice Melt

• Calcium chloride ice melt is the most effective ice melt in lower temperatures when compared to other ice-melt compounds. It is less expensive than sodium acetate but more expensive than other compounds.
• 在与冰或雪接触的情况下，它吸引了水分以快速形成盐水（液体溶液），从而降低水的冷冻点并产生热量，导致冰融化。
• Products containing calcium chloride are some of the fastest-acting ice melt and most tolerant of colder temperatures.
• It is a good choice for facilities with concrete.
• Lowest Melting Temperature: -25°F

2.氯化钠液体盐水

• Liquid brine is typically a solution of about ¾ parts water and ¼ part sodium (salt).
• 与岩盐相比，液体冰熔体明显减少盐，使其更适合环境。与固体岩盐相比，也有较少的浪费，因为它不会滚动/吹走。
• Additionally, liquid ice melt is less expensive than rock salt.
• Liquids work best when applied a few hours before a snowfall. As mentioned earlier, liquids work by preventing snow and ice from sticking to concrete and pavement.
• Applying liquid brine before a storm is the best way to easily remove snow and ice from sidewalks, parking lots, and roads.
• Liquid brine has a lower freezing point than its counterpart, rock salt, which we discuss below. When properly diluted, the solution generally freezes at about -6°F (unless it is further diluted). Keep in mind, the more diluted, or more water in the solution, the higherthe freezing point will be.
• Lowest Melting Temperature: -6°F

氯化镁冰融化

• It is slow acting and more expensive than some of the other ice melt products.
• Magnesium chloride is exothermic (releases heat), and is effective in colder temperatures.
• 它比氯化钙或氯化钠较少，对植物寿命略微环保。
• Lowest Melting Temperature: 0°F

3. Sodium Acetate Ice Melt

• 这是最环保的选择之一，因为它不含任何氯化物并且是可生物降解的。这是最昂贵的选择。
• 乙酸钠不会导致金属腐蚀。
• It has a longer residual effect, so you don't have to reapply as often.
• Sodium acetate (NAAC) is approved by the FAA for use on commercial airport runways.
• Lowest Melting Temperature: 0°F

4. Sodium Chloride (Rock Salt) Ice Melt

• Sodium chloride, also referred to as rock salt, is one of the most widely used ice melts.
• It is also the least expensive ice melt.
• Rock salt is endothermic (draws heat from its surroundings), making it is less effective in cold temperatures.
• Rock salt is moderately corrosive to metals and leaves behind a whitish, powdery residue.
• If applied appropriately it can be safe for the environment but too much accumulation will kill plants.
• Lowest Melting Temperature: 20°F

5. Potassium Chloride Ice Melt

• Potassium chloride is hardly used anymore because it is expensive and is not as effective as other compounds.
• It is not considered an environmentally friendly option.
• Potassium chloride is not as effective in colder temperatures.
• Lowest Melting Temperature: 25°F

6. Urea

• 尿素最常用作肥料。它含有氮，但似乎是理想的，但是当不正确或过量施用时可以烧伤植被。
• Similar to potassium chloride, urea is hardly used as ice melt anymore.
• 尿素在较冷的温度下无效。
• Lowest Melting Temperature: 25°F

7.混合

• Ice melt can be sold with a combination of the above chemicals. They typically combine sodium chloride with one of the other more expensive types of chloride.
• Each chemical blend will vary in corrosiveness, environmental impact, and lowest effective melting temperature.
• Blends can help extend an ice melts efficacy in lower temperatures.
• For example, sodium and magnesium chloride can be blended to melt ice and snow faster than rock salt at temperatures as low as -12° F.

最后的想法

不同的冰熔化化合物在不同条件下具有不同的有效程度。每个都有其自身有效的熔化温度，残留的去糖霜作用和潜在的环境影响。

Calcium chloride is the best option for facilities dealing with extremely low temperatures. Liquid ice melt is the next cost-effective, and best in low temperatures.

Rock salt is best if you are looking for the cheapest option, but keep in mind it is toxic to plants if applied in excess, and can corrode concrete and metal.

氯化镁是与环境的设施的好选择。

氯化钾、尿素bec并不受欢迎ause of their inability to work in colder temperatures and high cost.

Blended ice melts are formulated to utilize the best attributes of each chemical compound, like lowest effective temperature or low-corrosiveness, without raising costs.

The best time to start thinking about ice melt is before the first snowfall. If you're located in the United States, Puerto Rico, or the Caribbean, EBP and other Imperial Dade locations can help you choose the right ice melt toensure you’re getting the best results to keep your guests safe and facility in great shape.

Contact an EBP Specialisttoday for more information on the best type of ice melt to meet the unique needs, wants, and budget.

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