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With so much snow and ice in the winter, you have probably experienced salt on sidewalks and roads. The salt you so often see is used to melt the ice and snow, as well as keeping it from refreezing. When salt is added to water, you introduce dissolved foreign particles, which prevent the water molecules from forming ice as quickly. There is an array of ice-melting products available, composed of various chemicals that have been tested over the years. Some work better at lower temperatures than others. When choosing an appropriate salt or ice removal product, you may consider using the products when the temperature nears zero.
Why Does Salt Melt Snow and Ice?
The freezing point of water is at 0 degrees centigrade, or 32 degrees Fahrenheit. Even more accurately, 0 degrees is the point at which water is melting at the same rate that it is freezing, which creates an even balance. As a result, the water molecules are moving very slowly, forming ice. When the water has reached a balance at 0 degrees, the ice that is undisturbed will remain as ice. If salt is added, water molecules can't attach to each other to form ice as quickly and lowers the freezing point while the melting rate goes unaffected. In other words, the water begins to melt before it can form more ice.
What Type of Salt Melts Ice the Fastest?
Rock salt has been used in the snow and ice removal industry for a long time and continues to be the top choice for use at home and by public utilities. Other types of ice-melting products are composed of various chemicals that have been introduced over the years. Potassium chloride, magnesium chloride and calcium chloride are also some of the most common ice-melting salts used today. As the term "ice melter" suggests, they are not hot and do not melt ice. Instead, they act to depress or lower the freezing point of the snow or ice they are spread on, allowing the salt or chemical particles to make their way through the various layers of ice.
Some salts are also more effective than others as temperatures drop, such as calcium chloride which works well in temperatures as low as -25 degrees Fahrenheit. In addition, magnesium chloride, calcium magnesium acetate and sodium acetate all work well as long as temperatures are above 5 degrees. Other factors to consider when choosing which salt to use this winter is how fast it will work and how long it will last before reapplication is needed. Calcium and magnesium chloride will melt faster and last longer than sodium and potassium chloride, because they do not evaporate as quickly as other products available.
Some ice can be hard on concrete surfaces, such as ammonium sulfate and nitrate, so take extra precautions when choosing your ice this winter season. Contact your Chicago snow removal company for more information on the appropriate salt to use to melt ice around your home or business.
Rosario Gambino & Son Landscaping, Chicago snow removal, has been servicing the landscaping and snow plowing needs of the Chicagoland area and surrounding suburbs since 1986. With over 20 years of service, Rosario Gambino & Son Landscaping offers thorough landscaping and commercial snow removal in Chicago.
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