United States Department of Transportation
i
Evaluation of the effectiveness of salt neutralizers for washing snow and ice equipment.
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2014-01-01
[PDF-4.00 MB]
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Abstract: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. A parallel study of six commercially available salt
neutralizers is carried out for comparison. Analysis of the salt neutralizer solutions was carried out
using contact angle, Ultra Violet-visible spectroscopy (UV-vis), and Scanning Electron Microscopy imaging (SEM). Corrosion inhibition for several metals treated with salt neutralizer was determined
using potentiodynamic measurements and accelerated weight loss analysis (ASTM B117). When
considering the effects of corrosion on winter maintenance equipment, it is important to study not
only steel but also various “soft metals” (copper, aluminum, brass, etc.) that can be found in the
wiring and other parts of the fleet. Electrical Impedance Spectroscopy and visual inspection were
used to determine the ability of coated metal samples to prevent corrosion. A cost benefit analysis
was completed to determine what specific conditions directly impact the cost effectiveness of
corrosion prevention strategies.
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