Developing Renewable Agro-Based Anti-Icers for Sustainable Winter Road Maintenance Operations

Abstract

This work evaluated the performance and impacts of several agro-based anti-icers along with two traditional chloride-based anti-icers (23% by weight NaCl brine and its beet juice blend). A statistical design of experiments (central composite design) was employed for developing anti-icing liquids consisting of cost-competitive chemicals such as renewable agro-based compounds (Concord grape extract and glycerin); sodium chloride; sodium metasilicate; and sodium formate. The following experimentally obtained parameters were examined as a function of the formulation design: ice-melting capacity at -3.9°C, splitting tensile strength of portland cement mortar samples after 10 freeze-thaw/deicer cycles, corrosion rate of C1010 carbon steel after 24-h immersion, and impact on low temperature performance of asphalt binder. One viable formula (the best performer) was tested for thermal properties by measuring its differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) thermograms and other properties (friction coefficient on anti-iced asphalt pavement, pH, oxygen demands). These laboratory data shed light on the selection and formulation of innovative agro-based snow and ice control chemicals that can significantly reduce the costs of winter road maintenance operations.