CMA – Calcium Magnesium Acetate

CMA – Calcium Magnesium Acetate

CMA is granulated calcium magnesium acetate, a patented chemical formulation from dolomitic lime and acetic acid. It was first identified as a low corrosion, environmental alternative to road salt by the U.S. Federal Highway Administration in the late 1970’s.  It was then tested and commercially developed. Today, CMA is used worldwide to answer environmental concerns and solve problems associated with corrosion and concrete spalling.

CMA is generally used in a solid form and spread on the surface like other deicers. Although CMA is effective to the same temperatures as salt, CMA has many unique performance characteristics. Therefore, first-time users should review product application guidelines closely. For answers to frequently asked questions regarding CMA, please see the information sheet.

CMA is also used in liquid form, generally for anti-icing roads and bridges. Here, the fluid is applied prior to a storm event to prevent snow and ice from bonding to the surface. Liquid CMA is typically formulated in the field from dry CMA.

Please see for a brief summary of CMA’s benefits, application information, and product specifications.

CMA offers these advantages:

• Low Corrosion – About as corrosive as tap water
• Safe for Concrete – No more damage than from water
• Excellent Inhibitor – Reduces chloride corrosion
• Safe for the Environment – Low toxicity and biodegradable
• Residual Effect – Requires fewer applications
• Multi-Purpose – Use straight, with salt, with sand, or as a liquid

Customer Profile

Typical CMA customers are concerned with concrete spalling, corrosion or environmental issues. They include transportation agencies, military installations, universities, property management firms, and commercial facilities. They require the performance of a solid deicer without the risk of negative environmental impact or infrastructure damage generally associated with chlorides and urea. For these reasons, CMA is often specified by design engineers for use on bridge decks, parking garages and sidewalks, and by operation managers to solve environmental problems such as ground water contamination, soil compaction and vegetation burn.

Product Specifications

CMA Material Specifications

COMPOSITION:

Calcium Magnesium Acetate (CMA) (3:7 Ca to Mg molar ratio)

Hydrated CMA 96% minimum

Inert Material 4% maximum

PARTICLE SIZE:

SHAPE: Hard, spherical pellet

BULK DENSITY: 40 lb/ft³ to 44 lb/ft³ (0.65 g/cm³ to 0.79 g/cm³)

RESIDUAL BASE: Maximum 0.4 meg base/gm pH 8 to 10 in a 10% solution

pH: 8 to 10 in a 10% solution

PACKAGING: 25 kg (55 lb.) poly bags; 1000 kg (1 metric ton – 2205 lbs.) Super Sacks, bulk

Minimum orders: 40 – 25 kg bags, 1 Super Sack, 21 metric tons (46,305 lbs.) bulk

Application Rates

CMA application rates vary according to climate and maintenance practices. CMA is applied at rates similar to road salt, but heavier in the first application and lighter as the storm continues. Typical application rates:

250 to 400 pounds per lane mile

5 to 15 pounds per thousand square feet

20 to 40 grams per square meter

The bulk density of CMA is about 40 pounds/cubic foot compared to 70 pounds/cubic foot for salt. Since CMA is lighter, applications based on weight will appear to have 75% more pellets on the road surface compared to an equivalent application of salt.

Product Performance

CMA has been used successfully since 1986 by snow fighters worldwide. It is effective over a similar temperature range as road salt: performance decreases below 20 degrees F (-7 degrees C). Effectiveness is generally enhanced by traffic, sunlight, and warmer temperatures. Because CMA is acetate-based instead of chloride-based, it has unique performance characteristics. Over the years many techniques have been tested and adopted to increase its efficiency.

CMA Works Differently

When mixed with snow, CMA interferes with the ability of snow particles to adhere to each other or to the surface. It does not create a flowing brine like salt, but keeps the snow lighter and drier improving traction. Applied early in the storm, CMA prevents the formation of snow pack and the bonding of ice to the pavement surface, so snow and ice can be removed more easily by plow, broom or shovel.

CMA Has Residual Action

Because CMA does not produce a running brine, it does not move off the surface like other deicers. Therefore, fewer applications are needed during a storm and from storm to storm. Experience has shown that surfaces treated with CMA often exhibit anti-icing properties during subsequent periods of freezing moisture.

CMA Is Applied “Bottom Up”

Early application is the key to effective performance of all deicers, including CMA. At the beginning of a snow event, a heavier application of CMA may be appropriate depending on local conditions. Snow plows and the action of traffic will remove the snow – leaving a residual layer of CMA. Application rates may be decreased as the storm continues.

Corrosion Properties

CMA exhibits very low corrosion rates on metals found in bridges, roadways, parking garages, and other steel and concrete systems. Commonly described as being about as corrosive as tap water, CMA is often used as the corrosion standard by which other deicers are judged. Years of real-world use coupled with laboratory tests throughout the 1980’s and 1990’s sponsored by the U.S. FHWA, U.K Department of Transport, and other independent institutions have concluded: CMA is a proven low corrosion deicer.

Corrosion Retardation

A switch to CMA on chloride-contaminated concrete structures may extend their useful life. Tests by the Denmark Ministry of Transport with steel rebar in chloride-contaminated concrete showed that when samples were treated with CMA solutions, corrosion rates were reduced. Later tests by BP Chemicals concluded: “CMA is non-corrosive towards steel reinforcement in concrete and can arrest incipient corrosion induced by prior use of rock salt deicers.”

Corrosion Inhibitor

The FHWA evaluated the corrosion effects of various “inhibited” deicers with the following results:

A number of laboratory tests suggest that CMA may be an effective corrosion inhibitor when combined with salt. Although tests were different in type and duration of exposure, all indicated that as little as 20% CMA in a CMA/salt blend resulted in a 70% to 80% reduction in corrosion. As expected, the best corrosion protection results from the use of pure CMA.

Concrete Compatibility

Many engineers specify CMA because it does not chemically attack concrete nor does it increase spalling caused by the freeze-thaw cycling of water. A U.K. Department of Transport study concludes: “With the exception of CMA, all of the deicing chemicals tested resulted in a greater deterioration of the concrete than water alone…CMA was the only chemical on weak structural concrete which satisfied the criterion for scaling damage.”

Testing by Michigan DOT confirmed that CMA dramatically reduced spalling in both air-entrained and non air-entrained concrete compared to salt alone. Blending small amounts of CMA (minimum 20% by weight) with sodium chloride resulted in a reduction in salt-induced concrete scaling.

Wildlife Conservation

When sodium chloride is used as a deicer, it can result in roads becoming salt licking stations for wild animals, particularly deer. CMA has been used in deer management areas of Scandinavia to prevent road accidents. In Finland, CMA mixed with sand at rates of 18-24 pounds per ton (15-20 kilograms per cubic meter) kept sand from freezing. Additionally this CMA rate was sufficient to deter reindeer from roadways. CMA has the aroma of vinegar, which does not appeal to animals.

CMA Comes In Various Forms

CMA

CMA is provided in bulk, 1 metric ton (2205 lb) supersacks, or 25 kg (55 lb) bags. CMA should be used at temperatures above 20°F (-7°C). CMA should be stored indoors or in weather-proof containers. Covering bulk CMA is advised in high humidity areas. When properly stored, CMA will remain effective for years.

Liquid CMA

A 25% CMA solution can be prepared by mixing CMA at a rate of 3 lb/gal (0.38 kg/l) of potable water. At higher concentrations some CMA may not dissolve. At 25% concentration, CMA has a gel point of 8°F (-13°C), a eutectic point of 4°F (-16°C), and specific gravity of 1.14.

Environment and Toxicology

CMA research conducted in a variety of academic and private laboratories indicates that negative environmental and toxicological impacts are highly unlikely from its use as a deicer. Of the information collected it can be said that:

1. Concentrations used to deice roads have little to no toxic effects on grass, trees or roadside vegetation;
2. Has little to no toxic effects on aquatic species, including vertebrates and invertebrates;
3. Does not mobilize pre-existing heavy metals;
4. Does not increase algae, periphyton or phytoplankton biomass;
5. Is unlikely to cause problems in treatment plants receiving CMA in storm water runoff;
6. Is unlikely to have significant negative impacts on dissolved oxygen in receiving water;
7. Has low acute mammalian toxicity with effects similar or less severe than those of sodium chloride.

• BIODEGRADABILITYThe chemical oxygen demand (COD) of CMA was determined using EPA Method 410.1:COD = 0.75 g O₂/gThe biological oxygen demand (BOD) of CMA was determined using EPA approved dilution methods (Hach). The 20-day incubation BOD value at 10°C is reasonably similar to the COD value suggesting that biological oxidation progresses to the endpoint in 20 days.BOD₂₀ @  2°C = 0.40BOD₂₀ @ 10°C = 0.67
• AQUATIC TOXICITYEPA method 600/4-85-013 was used for measuring the acute toxicity of CMA to freshwater and marine organisms. No mortality was observed at any test level. Based on these study results CMA can be considered to be relatively harmless under generally recognized criteria for accessing acute aquatic toxicity.

Data Sheets

PRODUCT SPECIFICATION – Calcium Magnesium Acetate (CMA)

MSDS – Calcium Magnesium Acetate (CMA)