Three Factors for Selecting an Ice Melter Product

Winter is coming! Now is the time to prepare for beautiful snowfalls, holiday cheer and, unfortunately, the risks of slip-and-fall lawsuits. One of the most crucial elements to preventing winter injuries on your facility’s property is, of course, an effective ice-melter product.

Choosing an ice melter isn’t always easy. With so many products on the market, how do you determine which one is best for your facility? This article will help!

There are three major factors to consider when deciding which ice melter is best for your facility:

1. Cost
2. Melting performance
3. Environmental considerations

Here are the five major ice-melter categories, as well as their pros and cons based on the above three factors.

Sodium Chloride (A.K.A. Rock Salt)
PROS: Because sodium chloride is such an abundant chemical compound, it’s also very inexpensive. It’s widely popular because it’s very effective at melting ice. Some of its more common uses include deicing roads and parking lots.

CONS: Sodium chloride can be corrosive to metal, and can potentially damage vegetation. However, avoiding over-use often prevents these negative effects.

Calcium Chloride
PROS: Available in flake, pellet and liquid forms, calcium chloride is capable of melting ice in temperatures as low as -32°C. Also, because it releases heat while dissolving, a product with calcium chloride works faster than other ice melting products.

CONS: Like sodium chloride, this chemical can corrode metal and negatively effect vegetation if it’s over applied.

Magnesium Chloride
PROS: This is a high-performance chemical that’s gentle on metal, concrete and vegetation.

CONS: Magnesium chloride is more expensive than calcium chloride and rock salt.

Potassium Chloride
PROS: Potassium chloride is another ice melter that’s relatively safe. It’s often mixed with rock salt because the two chemicals work well together.

CONS: This chemical is commonly used in fertilizers and isn’t often used as an ice melter. It has a higher price than many other ice melters.

Acetates
PROS: Three common forms of acetates are potassium acetate, sodium acetate and calcium magnesium acetate. Unlike the other chemicals listed in this article, acetates are not chloride based. They therefore don’t negatively effect surfaces like chloride based chemicals do.

CONS: Because the chemicals used to make acetate deicers are in short supply, they typically have steep prices.

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