Calcium Chloride
Calcium chloride is a salt with a broad range of uses: in drying agents, for medicinal purposes, as an additive in food and drink products, and an awful lot more both at home and in workplaces internationally. Probably the biggest use of this vital mineral, however, is in the melting of ice on roads during snow removal. But how exactly does it work? In this guide, we explore the scientific technology behind the rapid melting of ice using Calcium chloride salt.
The key idea to understand about the use of Calcium chloride in the melting of ice is that it's a soluble salt which dissolves in water to generate heat. Therefore, when Calcium chloride comes into contact with a water solvent - i.e. when it is sprayed on icy roads during the winter months - it releases heat energy which causes the ice to melt and clear up.
It sounds so simple, but the scientific theory behind how this process actually works is considerably more complex. The reaction between the salt and water is classed as being exothermic, which means it releases heat energy into its surroundings. This is because more energy is required to form new bonds than is necessary to break existing ones - resulting in an increase of temperature in the area around the salt that causes the ice's temperature to rise far beyond its set melting point.
Although the above explanation illustrates how the melting process works, this isn't the only job of Calcium chloride on heavily iced roads. In fact, the salt also plays a vital role in preventing the water produced from the ice melting becoming frozen again when the temperature drops to below freezing - normally when night falls during the winter season.
In simple terms, the calcium salt reduces the freezing point of water to way below zero. In doing so, it prevents water from freezing over at lower temperatures, and in some cases, can reduce this point of state change to as little as minus ten degree Celsius - a change of ten degrees from what one would normally expect.
In technical terms, what is actually happening here is a dramatic change in the colligative properties of water. Because water is what's known as a polar solvent, Calcium chloride dissolves within it into its respective positive and negative ions of calcium (positive) and chlorine (negative). The result of this, as explained above, is a fall in the freezing point of water which helps to prevent roads icing up again and causing widespread transport havoc.
Above is simply a brief analysis of the many de-icing capabilities of Calcium chloride salt. As stated previously, it's a hugely versatile substance that's also used in a range of other household products and industrial processes. For further information on Calcium chloride products such as pellets and flakes for your own use on the road, visit CBW supply online - one of the leading US wholesalers with years of expertise in retailing ice melting products and equipment.