zlacker

Salt (sodium chloride) is pretty rare anymore. It’s more expensive than another option.

Liquid magnesium chloride is the goto in most states now, and you’ll be happy to know it’s even worse!

>>SV_Bub+(OP)
Real table salt is never to be used as an ice melter on streets. “Salt” here is used in the chemical definition I would think.

>>eatbit+M2
The UK uses 2 million tonnes of rock salt a year for road gritting, which is basically dirty table salt.

>>SV_Bub+(OP)
I disagree that it's worse. From everything I've read about mag chloride it's still corrosive but much less so than traditional road salt.

>>eatbit+M2
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salt_Belt It's still a mix often times but it's totally salt in some areas still.

>>SV_Bub+(OP)
Yea, I thought as much when I saw canadian cars for the first time, coming from a country that also salts liberally (but not with magnesium afaik). Ten year old cars of all makes having completely rusted through wheel arches, just insane.

>>eatbit+M2
There is a salt mine up the road from me. The trucks start lining up for miles waiting for loads any time there is a winter storm expected.

The only difference between that salt and table salt is that there is additional processing to the salt done when destined for table salt to ensure purity and shape. So, yes, they don't literally use table salt, but it is the same raw ingredient.

>>SV_Bub+(OP)
Wish they’d use something biodegradable like peas or beans.

>>eatbit+M2
Rock salt / sodium chloride is absolutely used as everyone is pointing out.

Liquid sodium chloride is also used in some places.

Neither of those are magnesium chloride and the distinction is important imo.

>>_fat_s+V6
I work in automotive. I think it’s worse but in a different way.

Sodium chloride attacks exposed metal pretty badly.

Magnesium chloride seems to attack powdercoat, e-coat (electro dipped, all cars parts), and nickle coatings, as well as clear coat wet paint seemingly worse. Which then leaves spots exposed to rust. It seems to hang on to the vehicle and attack the entire winter. I’ve found that areas that switch to mag chloride have worse looking vehicles, so, imo, worse.

It’s also pretty awful for the environment.

>>SV_Bub+Lj
Liguid sodium chloride? Melting point is 1000C so I doubt that.

>>fallin+Mv
Allow me to introduce to you solutions.

For a practical experiment… add salt to water. You’ve made a brine. That is all.

>>SV_Bub+Xx
Well, yeah, but I've never heard anyone call that "liquid sodium chloride"

>>SV_Bub+qk
It gets complicated.

The magnesium chloride ice melt (which contains other compounds too) has lower toxicity than sodium chloride. That is particularly important for plants and pets.

Rust inhibitors were things in road salt spreads in the past, but it is found that they can be very harmful to aquatic life ( https://onepetro.org/NACECORR/proceedings-abstract/CORR96/Al... ) so now they're generally not used ( https://www.cga.ct.gov/2014/rpt/2014-R-0001.htm )

>>moomoo+ag
Cheese To The Rescue: Surprising Spray Melts Road Ice - https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2014/01/21/264562529...

> This winter, a Wisconsin county is fighting icy roads with a homegrown product: liquid cheese brine. Tens of thousands of gallons of the stuff are used each year along with road salt, according to officials in Polk County.

Turning to beet juice and beer to address road salt danger - https://apnews.com/article/science-bb34e41bb95a4dfa85301621e...

> CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — Looking to strike a balance between ice-free roads and clean waterways, public works departments around the country are working to cut their salt use in winter by slathering the roadways with beet juice, molasses, and even beer waste to make them safer.

>>SV_Bub+(OP)
I'm in Ohio and last winter, the trucks were dumping grains of salt, not liquid.

>>random+V9
I know of a company importing salt here in Norway. They get boats filled with salt, and when doing the import customs declaration they have to decide if that batch of salt is going on the dinner table or on the roads, because we have half VAT on food and ingredients.

Same salt, different VAT rate depending on use.

>>shagie+hC
Everyone in the rust belts should be putting fluid film/woolwax/krown under their vehicles. I think decades of shady "rust proofing" sprayers that were either a scam or did more harm than good (plastic/rubber under coatings) have put people off of doing this but there are products now that work well.

>>kayode+xc1
Rock salt is ok down to some temperature, after that your locals will likely switch to mag chloride.

NaCl is falling out of favor though. I didn’t say it was never used.