Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Salt Neutralizers for Washing Snow and Ice Equipment.

摘要

In winter maintenance, the chloride-based deicers used to keep roadways clear of snow and ice are highly corrosive to vehicles and equipment. Corrosion of snow and ice equipment is a major issue causing increased maintenance and repair costs, reduced vehicle life, and increased vehicle downtime. Statistics show that road salt causes approximately $1500/ton of damage to vehicles, bridges, and the environment. Washing of winter maintenance equipment after exposure to ice control chemicals has been suggested as one possible solution to minimize corrosion. However, washing with soap and water has been shown to be insufficient in removing residual salt from winter maintenance vehicles. Treating winter maintenance equipment with salt neutralizers, used in a variety of household and industrial applications, has been shown to prevent corrosion. Although the consensus points to the need for a reliable and easy to implement corrosion prevention strategy, at present there is not sufficient information available to determine the effectiveness of different wash systems at preventing corrosion. As the corrosion reduction data of salt neutralizer solutions on bare and coated metal surfaces is lacking, a systematic study has been carried out to provide quantitative information.