
What Is The Magic That Keeps Wyoming Roads Ice Free?
It's weird to think that something you would use to improve the taste of your food is the same thing you'd spread on your sidewalk to melt the ice and snow.
Salt
Salt is the cheapest and most abundant deicing material.
How does the whole process work?
Sodium and chloride make up salt.
When salt is poured on ice, the combination lowers the freezing point of the water.
If you've ever watched the process happen, it's fascinating to see the salt begin working as soon as it hits the ice.
What happens when the temperatures are lower than the freezing point?
The ice wins the battle.
With our cold snap, you may wonder why you're not seeing salt spread.
At 30° F, 1 lb of salt melts 46 lbs of ice. However, at 15° F, that performance drops by over 86%! Yes, it is only about 13% as effective at 15 ° as it is at 30°.
When temperatures drop as low as they had been around Wyoming, crews may switch to a more expensive alternative to salt. Chemicals like calcium chloride or magnesium chloride can work and be more effective at much lower temperatures.
Learn more about the process called the Freezing Point Depression, in which salt breaks up into two ions: one sodium and one chloride. These ions move around and occupy space to keep ice from forming.
The video below is an explanation of the process.
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