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| idive | Magnesium chloride is now often used to replace the use of salt on roads in many states as a de-icer. I copied the following info from wikipedia. Note how it may effect the electricals on your car, as well as corrode your aluminum frame. Don't think that it's ok to drive on since they no longer use salt. A number of state highway departments throughout the United States have decreased the use of rock salt and sand on roadways and have increased the use of solutions of magnesium chloride (often called "liquid magnesium chloride") as a de-icer or anti-icer. Magnesium chloride is much less toxic to plant life surrounding highways and airports, and is less corrosive to concrete and steel (and other iron alloys) than sodium chloride. The liquid magnesium chloride is sprayed on dry pavement (tarmac) prior to precipitation or wet pavement prior to freezing temperatures in the winter months to prevent snow and ice from adhering and bonding to the roadway. The application of anti-icers is utilized in an effort to improve highway safety. Magnesium chloride is also sold in crystal form for household and business use to de-ice sidewalks and driveways. In these applications, the compound is applied after precipitation has fallen or ice has formed, instead of previously. The use of this compound seems to show an improvement in driving conditions during and after freezing precipitation, but it can damage electric utilities. This occurs in two ways: contamination of insulators, causing tracking and arcing across them, and corrosion of steel and aluminium poles and pole hardware. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnesium_chloride |
| jimsutton | Very Interestring information some times you just don't know what is out there . I am glad to live in the South .. Thanks ...Jim |
| samthejeepman | thats okay idive
they are all packed away in hibernation until the late spring when everything is washed off the roadssam |
| idive | We don't normally have to concern ourselves with this. But with today's snows, this was the first time they used it locally. Normally they just throw out some chatrock. To my knowledge they've never used salt around here. I was going to go out and grab some pics of the car in the snow but wanted to know what this stuff would do to the car first, so I logged on and found the info. I'm glad now that I didn't just go out. |
| MDProwler | They are starting to mix that with salt around here. They used to use sand with tiny gravel years ago and it worked just fine for the secondary roads. I always thought sand would be the most environmentally friendly. What the heck is chatrock? |
| idive | Chat rock is basically crushed rock (pea size rocks or shells - sometimes larger). I think it might be mixed with sand. This message has been edited by idive on 12-05-2009 at 02:27 AM |
| Dave Mills | The Magnesium Chloride has been used around here now for a couple years. It is also hard to get off the painted surfaces of a vehicle. Since we get a lot of ice here, it works great to improve the roads, but not very vehicle friendly. |
| BeWare | I'm also glad we live in the South. I lived in Utah for 13 years and I don't miss the snow one bit. |
| WildCat | We got our 1st coating this week. Noticed the white lines close to intersections and bridges. I hate it and salt. The cars are definately put up for the winter. It will be at least late March or maybe even April before the Caddy, Imperial, Dart & Prowler are on the road again. I drive for a guy that does parking lot maintenance in the winter (salt truck) Stopped by this last week to see when he thought the 1st day we would go out. He was preping a new truck with a tank for the liquid crap. he said it might be a good truck for me to drive since I have only certain hours I can go out. ------------------
Larry & Sue Mayes 
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