zlacker

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+(OP)
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 )

>>shagie+Rh
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.