Scientific Proof in Favor of Peladow Calcium Chloride
SCIENTIFIC PROOF IN FAVOR OF PELADOW CALCIUM CHLORIDE
Choosing a deicer can be confusing. So many brands. And so many carefully worded claims. But, it gets easier once you know there are only a few materials to compare. And the choice is downright obvious when you look at the facts on performance. PELADOW* calcium chloride pellets outperform the others in every way that counts.
PELADOW Calcium Chloride Pellets
| Description: | Small, white pellets processed from naturally-occurring material. |
|---|---|
| Relative deicing speed: | Fastest-acting deicer at all temperatures. |
| Lowest practical temperature: | Down to -25°F. |
| Effect on concrete: | Does not chemically attack concrete. Poses least threat of damage from freeze-induced expansion pressure. |
| Effect on vegetation: | Used as recommended, will not harm vegetation. Calcium chloride is used as a calcium source for certain fruits and vegetables. |
| Residue: | Leaves no powdery residue. |
| Manufacturer’s recommended application rate: | 2-4 oz./yd². |
| Comments: | Calcium chloride gives off heat as it dissolves, therefore melting more ice faster at lower temperatures than other common chemical deicers. |
Flake Calcium Chloride
| Description: | Flat off-white containing 16 to 20% water of hydration. |
|---|---|
| Relative deicing speed: | Starts about as fast as PELADOW but does not have the same melting ability. |
| Lowest practical temperature: | Down to -25°F. |
| Effect on concrete: | Does not chemically attack concrete. Poses least threat of damage from freeze-induced expansion pressure. |
| Effect on vegetation: | Used as recommended, will not harm vegetation. Calcium chloride is used as a calcium source for certain fruits and vegetables. |
| Residue: | Leaves no powdery residue. |
| Manufacturer’s recommended application rate: | 2-4 oz./yd². |
| Comments: | Although flake calcium chloride does give off some heat, it gives off less heat than PELADOW. Calcium chloride flake outperforms all other deicers except PELADOW. |
Halite Rock Salt
| Description: | Irregularly shaped sodium chloride crystals. |
|---|---|
| Relative deicing speed: | Slower than calcium chloride, faster than potassium chloride, urea. |
| Lowest practical temperature: | Down to 20°F. |
| Effect on concrete: | Does not chemically attack concrete. Can cause damage from freeze-induced expansion pressures by increasing number of freeze/thaw cycles. |
| Effect on vegetation: | Used as recommended, will not harm vegetation. However, sodium ion is toxic to vegetation. |
| Residue: | Leaves a white, powdery residue when it dries. |
| Manufacturer’s recommended application rate: | 8oz./yd². |
| Comments: | Sodium chloride provides adequate, economical performance at temperatures at or just below 32°F. As temperatures drop below freezing, its ice-melting performance slows substantially. Most frequently used deicer for highway applications; often treated with liquid calcium chloride or mixed with calcium chloride to improve low-temperature performance on highways. |
Safe Step Ice Melter with MG 104
| Description: | A blend consisting of a nearly 50/50 mix of rock salt and potassium chloride. A very small amount of the chemical methyl-glucoside is also added. |
|---|---|
| Relative deicing speed: | Melts less than rock salt due to the addition of potassium chloride. |
| Lowest practical temperature: | Down to 20°F to 25°F. |
| Effect on concrete: | Does not chemically attack concrete. Can cause damage from freeze-induced expansion pressures by increasing number of freeze/thaw cycles. |
| Effect on vegetation: | Used as recommended, will not harm vegetation. However, sodium ion is toxic to vegetation. |
| Residue: | Leaves a white, powdery residue when it dries. |
| Manufacturer’s recommended application rate: | Manufacturer suggests 1 cup (8 oz.)/yd². |
| Comments: | Less effective (by over 30%) than plain rock salt due to the addition of potassium chloride which is an ineffective deicer at temperatures below 25°F. |
Potassium Chloride
| Description: | Irregular shaped, off-white crystals |
|---|---|
| Relative deicing speed: | Much slower than calcium chloride and slower than sodium chloride (rock salt). |
| Lowest practical temperature: | Down to 25°F. Ice melting performance falls off significantly as temperatures drop. |
| Effect on concrete: | Does not chemically attack concrete. Can cause damage from freeze-induced expansion pressures by increasing number of freeze/thaw cycles. |
| Effect on vegetation: | Used as recommended, will not harm vegetation. |
| Residue: | Leaves a white, powdery residue when it dries. |
| Manufacturer’s recommended application rate: | 80 oz./yd². |
| Comments: | Based on eutectic temperature, least effective of all deicers. |
Flake Magnesium Chloride
| Description: | Large, flat, clear to off-white flakes containing over 51% water of hydration. |
|---|---|
| Relative deicing speed: | Starts about as fast as calcium chloride but may become diluted and ineffective. |
| Lowest practical temperature: | Down to 5°F. |
| Effect on concrete: | Chemically attacks concrete at a “slow rate”. Can cause damage from freeze-induced expansion pressures by increasing number of freeze/thaw cycles. |
| Effect on vegetation: | Used as recommended, will not harm vegetation. However, magnesium chloride, on a percentage basis, contains 17 to 56% more chloride ion than other “salt” type deicers. |
| Residue: | Leaves no powdery residue. |
| Manufacturer’s recommended application rate: | None given. |
| Comments: | Flake magnesium chloride contains over 51% water. It starts deicing almost as fast as calcium chloride but may become diluted and ineffective. “Slowly†” attacks concrete chemically. |
†Reference for “slow” rate of concrete attack per American Concrete Institute, ACI 201.2R-92, Guide to Durable Concrete.
Superior Snow-N-Ice Melter w/CMA
| Description: | Pink dyed crystals consisting of 99% rock salt and a trace of Calcium Magnesium Acetate (CMA). |
|---|---|
| Relative deicing speed: | Same as rock salt. |
| Lowest practical temperature: | Down to 20°F. |
| Effect on concrete: | Does not chemically attack concrete. Can cause damage from freeze-induced expansion pressures by increasing number of freeze/thaw cycles. Could stain pavement from the dye used to color the deicer. |
| Effect of vegetation: | Used as recommended, will not harm vegetation. However, sodium ion is toxic to vegetation. |
| Residue: | Leaves a white to pink, powdery residue when it dries. |
| Manufacturer’s recommended application rate: | Manufacturer suggests 1 to 4 lbs. per 500 ft² (0.3-1.2 oz/yd²) after removing as much snow and ice as possible. |
| Comments: | Superior Snow-N-Ice Melter is approximately 99% rock salt with less than 1% CMA. Crystals are dyed pink which could stain concrete. Melts the same as rock salt. |
Premiere Ice Melter with CMA
| Description: | Blue dyed crystals consisting of 99% rock salt and a trace of Calcium Magnesium Acetate (CMA). |
|---|---|
| Relative deicing speed: | Same as rock salt. |
| Lowest practical temperature: | Down to 20°F. |
| Effect on concrete: | Does not chemically attack concrete. Can cause damage from freeze-induced expansion pressures by increasing number of freeze/thaw cycles. Could stain pavement from the dye used to color the deicer. |
| Effect on vegetation: | Used as recommended, will not harm vegetation. However, sodium ion is toxic to vegetation. |
| Residue: | Leaves a white to blue, powdery residue when it dries. |
| Manufacturer’s recommended application rate: | 1 to 4 lbs. per 500 ft² (0.3 to 1.2 oz/yd²). |
| Comments: | Premiere Ice Melter is 99% rock salt with a trace amount of CMA. Claims of being “environmentally safer” are false. Crystals are dyed blue which could stain concrete. Melts the same as rock salt. |
*Trademark of the Occidental Chemical Company