What is the difference between ice melts

You use much less rock salt, which is your goal. Note that in high volumes, rock salt can damage concrete, so you want to use as little as possible.

If using your hands, make sure to wear gloves, as it can irritate bare skin. The ice will start to melt quickly, but thicker patches may take longer. Let it sit for a while to work. Reapply as needed in problem areas until the spot is safe, and then shovel the piles away. We sell our products through independent insurance agents because we believe they provide value to policyholders through their broad range of products and their insurance expertise.

Privacy Policy. Hit enter to search or ESC to close. Close Search. Rock Salt vs. What is Rock Salt? What is Ice Melt? Schedule a time to chat with one of our Workspace Partners to learn more about our selection of de-icing supplies and our fast and reliable delivery! To get started, you can create a free account to access our online store or request a free business product audit to help you consolidate vendors and reduce your overall costs. Categories Follow Us. Share This Article.

Rock Salt vs. What is Rock Salt? What is Ice Melt? Each has its own effective melting temperatures, de-icing capabilities and potential environmental effects: Calcium chloride is best for facilities that experience extremely low temperatures Magnesium chloride is better for facilities concerned with the environment Blended ice melts are formulated to use the best attributes of each chemical compound Rock Salt vs. Price Rock Salt Rock salt is one of the cheapest methods for melting ice.

Conclusion Winner: Rock salt In general, rock salt is more affordable than ice melt. Ice Melt Because of its chemical composition, some people believe ice melt is bad for asphalt. Conclusion Winner: Ice melt Rock salt can cause extreme damage to concrete, asphalt and cars. Plant and Animal Safety Rock Salt Cheaper rock salt tends to be the most harmful product on a yard or lawn.

Ice Melt It may cost more money, but ice melt with magnesium chloride has been proven not to damage lawns. Conclusion Winner: Ice melt Cheap rock salt can seriously damage concrete and asphalt, as well as your landscape and animals. Melting Speed Rock Salt Rock salt can effectively melt ice in temperatures down to 25 degrees Fahrenheit , seven degrees lower than the freezing point. Ice Melt Ice melt, especially varieties including calcium chloride, can lower the freezing temperature of ice in extremely cold temperatures.

Conclusion Winner: Ice melt Universally, ice melt works faster than rock salt. When it's time to choose between rock salt and ice melt, your final decision will depend on how you answer each of these questions: How much money do you want to spend?

Are you in need of a product that increases traction on ice and snow or a product that melts ice and snow as quickly as possible? Do you have special considerations for plants, animals and children?

Do you live in an area that drops below 25 degrees Fahrenheit or degrees Fahrenheit? Say goodbye to wasted time, wasted money and multiple vendors.

Although all deicer aims to melt ice, not all perform in the same conditions. There are many different types of ice melt, and there are several considerations when choosing the best ice melt for your facility. Understanding the conditions you will be using the ice melt in will allow you to choose the most effective compound. Ice melt works by lowering the freezing point of water. Each chemical compound used in ice melt has a different working temperature. Using a product beyond its lowest effective temperature range will result in reduced or no ice removal.

Cold temperatures restrict the amount of moisture on top of ice, making it hard for ice melt to absorb liquid to work. Exothermic compounds release its own heat that increases the amount of moisture on the ice, allowing it to produce greater amounts of liquid solution or brine to penetrate through ice.

Rather than releasing heat, endothermic deicers draw heat from the surroundings to dissolve. The chemical makeup of the ice melt will affect how long the product continues to provide de-icing action after being applied. Ice melts with longer residual action will reduce the frequency in which ice melt will need to be applied in the future. Products which have longer residual action may be more expensive but will save costs on the amount of ice melt used and the labor needed to apply the ice melt.

In general, liquid ice melts typically provide longer residual action because they continue as brines for an increased amount of time when compared to solid ice melt.

Another consideration when selecting the right ice melt is how the chemical compound will affect the surrounding areas of your facility. Each ice melt compound can have a range of negative effects on the natural plants, animals, waterways, fish and manmade doorways, grates areas it comes into contact with.

Increasing concern for the environment and the use of sustainable products may require you to search for ice melt which is non-toxic or non-harmful to vegetation and animals. Ice melt is easily caught in run-off water and can contaminate groundwater. Vegetation and animal life can be affected by the salts in the run-off water. Some ice melts have a lower risk of potential environmental damage and water pollution.

For example, sodium chloride can be damaging to surrounding trees and plants but sodium acetate products are formulated to be more environmentally responsible.

Certain chemicals can be corrosive to hard surfaces like concrete, pavement, or metals under the ice. For example, salt-based deicers can penetrate porous stone, freeze, and cause the surface to expand, resulting in flakes or cracks. Salts can also cause metal railings, grates, and door frames to rust or corrode. Ice melt is available in solid or liquid form.

The most popular ice melt is solid pellets. Solid ice melt works by absorbing moisture from the top of the ice, permeating downward, and creating a solution or brine to soften the bond between the ice and the ground surface. Rock salt, calcium chloride, potassium chloride, and magnesium chloride are naturally occurring salts. Urea, ammonium nitrate, and ammonium sulfate are synthetic materials which find their most common applications as fertilizers. Generally, all ice melters work in the same way.

They depress the freezing point of ice or snow and turn the mixture into a liquid or semi-liquid slush. Solid chemical salts bore through ice or snow and form a strong brine solution. This brine spreads under the ice or hard-packed snow and undercuts, breaking the bond to the surface. Once loose, the ice or snow is easily removed by mechanical means. Or, in many cases, users, apply the material in anticipation of ice or snow. This prevents the bond to the surface and melts the snow or ice as it comes in contact with the brine.

Fertilizer products work in much the same manner, though they do not form a brine. All are soluble in water and the resulting solution acts by depressing the freezing point of snow and ice. Though common deicing materials work in the same way, they vary widely in performance. The determining factors are speed, quantity of material required, and duration of melting action. Environmental considerations are also important. When reviewing deicing materials on the basis of their effectiveness at practical temperatures, they rank as follows:.

In order for an ice melter to be effective, it must go into solution quickly. It is the solution which penetrates the ice or snow to provide the undercutting, not the solid material.