Where To Buy Calcium Chloride Ice Melt
Calcium chloride ice melt is applied at higher concentrations (32-38%) than magnesium chloride (21-28%). This means that it is much stronger and less calcium chloride ice melt will be necessary to achieve the same results, saving you time and money in labor and product.
where to buy calcium chloride ice melt
If you live in a particularly freezing place, like many areas in the Midwest, then calcium chloride might be your best option. Calcium chloride ice melt pellets are able to penetrate ice quickly at temperatures as low as -25ºF, a much lower temperature than magnesium chloride is effective at.
Calcium chloride de-icer does not just penetrate the ice better in freezing temperatures, it will also actually melt the ice significantly faster than magnesium chloride. According to a study by SGS Testing Services, within the first five minutes of ice melt application at 0ºF, calcium chloride will melt 40% more ice than magnesium chloride and 75% more after 30 minutes pass.
Any ice melt that contains chloride will have some level of damage to concrete and metals, though the degree of corrosion will depend on the amount of chloride in the product. Both calcium and magnesium chloride contain less chloride than some other ice melting alternatives, but will still be corrosive.
The real difference between the two is that, unlike calcium chloride, magnesium chloride de-icer is not as harmful to lawns, pets, vegetation, or people. Though you should not apply magnesium chloride directly to plants or grass, you can breathe easier when applying it to sidewalks, parking lots, or similar surfaces, as it is considered much safer.
You see, calcium chloride ice melt actually outperforms conventional rock salt almost every way. Yet consumers still rely on sodium chloride and suffer the consequences. Better yet, calcium chloride doesn't inflict any of the associated damage that rock salt does (such as damaging plant life).
Calcium chloride is a compound with the chemical formula CaCl2. At room temperature, it is a white crystalline solid that is highly soluble in water. The compound is exothermic, which means that it produces heat when mixed with moisture, making it a perfect fit for the task of melting ice and snow.
It is the most widely used deicing alternative to the sodium-based rock salt. In fact, despite that the fact that it has many other uses such as within road surfacing and the manufacture of processed foods, deicing accounts for by far and away the most significant volume of calcium chloride produced each year.
It's increasingly prevalent use as a deicer is thanks to its superior performance to the previously-favored sodium chloride (rock salt). However, today it's widely accepted that calcium chloride outperforms rock salt in almost every measurable attribute, bar perhaps cost.
One of the principal reasons calcium chloride ice melt continues to rise in popularity is its performance at the lowest temperatures. In fact, calcium chloride outperforms all over deicing compounds in cold weather.
Taking rock salt as an example, while it can technically work until it reaches its eutectic temperature (lowest possible ice-melting point) of -6F, it's practical working temperature (the temperature at which it melts ice effectively) is 20F. By contrast, the practical working temperature of calcium chloride goes beyond -25F. To give that figure some context, that's more than 25 degrees Fahrenheit lower than the temperature of the next best-performing solution, magnesium chloride.
This makes driveways, lawns, and other pathways around the home dangerous under cover of darkness when spotting patches of ice becomes almost impossible. By purchasing calcium chloride ice melt, you can rest assured that even during the coldest mornings or evenings, the solution is still hard at work melting the ice rather than exacerbating the problem.
One of the most significant advantages of using calcium chloride as a deicer is that you only need a small amount of product to cover a large surface area. How many times have you continuously shoveled rock salt over your driveway, barely noticing any difference? It's only once you've spread several pounds of salt that you begin to enjoy the deicing effect. But calcium chloride only requires a small amount, which is thanks to the way it works chemically.
Calcium chloride is a compound that attracts moisture such as snow and ice, and it's highly soluble in water. This combination facilitates the creation of a brine solution within seconds of contact with the surface of ice or snow. The brine solution then begins to melt everything it comes into contact with, increasing in mass as it comes into contact with the ice surrounding it, in a domino-style effect.
As you can imagine, that means, thanks to the chemical reactions taking place, spreading even a small amount of calcium chloride can clear an extensive area of ice thanks to its ability to penetrate and assimilate into a brine mixture. Calcium chloride not only melts the ice it comes into contact with, but it also causes a secondary melt through the continued spread of the brine.
For many homeowners and gardeners who are aware of calcium chloride as a deicing solution, they sight cost as a reason for continuing to use rock salt. While it's true that, pound-for-pound, calcium chloride is more expensive; it's actually the best-value solution when you take into account how much less you need to use to clear the same surface area of ice.
By contrast, calcium chloride is a beneficial compound within the soil and actively helps to improve its structure. Calcium, to be more precise, is an essential macronutrient for healthy soil. If you're wondering precisely why calcium is so vital to the soil, then you need to know how calcium cations work.
With their double positive charge, calcium cations improve soil structure by bridging soil organic matter with clay particles, resulting in enhanced aggregation of soil particles. When the calcium chloride salt is dissolved into the soil, calcium ions are free to move within the soil matrix where they are either attached to the soil exchange sites, combined with other anions, or suspended in the soil water.
When temperatures are so cold that plants struggle to get the water and nutrients they need to survive during the winter, studies have shown that adding calcium chloride improves their resistance to these challenging, drought-like conditions.
Calcium chloride ice melt has a significant advantage over its similar counterparts because it's an exothermic compound. In case you're unfamiliar with the term, exothermic means than during the process of the chemical reaction (for example, when it is exposed to moisture), heat is generated. This heat helps to create the ice-melting brine mentioned above, kick-starting the whole domino effect when clearing ice from surfaces.
This feature is one of the critical differentiating factors between calcium chloride ice melt and other similar ice-melting compounds. You see, almost all other deicers depend on their surroundings for heat. Whereas calcium chloride actually provides a heat source, creating the ice-melting brine.
To give you an idea of just how much heat that calcium chloride can produce, a pound of calcium chloride can raise the temperature of a gallon of water by over 30F! When in the depths of winter, it's this specific chemical feature of calcium chloride that explains its ability to maintain a practical working temperature far below any other conventional deicer.
It also explains the speed at which calcium chloride gets to work. While you could be waiting several minutes, or even more than an hour for rock salt to make a noticeable difference to a surface, calcium chloride produces immediate results because it generates and disseminates heat across the contact surface within a matter of seconds. That explains why it can clear large surface areas in minutes.
These particles often become lodged between toes or caught up in the fur surrounding the footpads, which prolongs contact and increases the potential for irritation. However, with our calcium chloride-based deicer Eco Garden Calcium Chloride Ice Melt, there's no such problem. As explained in great detail above, the calcium chloride almost immediately dissolves into a liquid brine, removing any elements that could potentially get stuck in between fur or toes.
Not only does this enable the calcium chloride to penetrate more quickly and break ice's bond with the underlying surface, but it significantly decreases the chance of a pet stepping on a prill, since it will be fully dissolved in a matter of minutes.
With winter just around the corner, now is the best time for you to stock up on your deicer supplies. However, this year, it's time you moved away from traditional rock salt and tried the more effective calcium chloride. If you've been wondering where to buy calcium chloride, then we've got the perfect product for you.
With heat-generating properties that work at temperatures far lower than any other competing solution on the market, our Eco Garden organic calcium chloride ice melt allows you to protect yourself from potential injury and property damage.
When the goal is keeping sidewalks safe under all conditions, it pays to know the lowest effective temperature for various ice melters and choose one that is effective at the coldest temperatures you are likely to experience. Calcium chloride stands apart from other options, maintaining ice melting power down to -25F (-32C). In contrast, other deicers like rock salt, potassium chloride and calcium magnesium acetate begin losing effectiveness between 25F (-4C) and 0
One of the primary goals of property owners and contractors is to eliminate pedestrian exposure to icy surfaces. That means responding to ice on walkways, steps and parking lots immediately with the fastest acting ice melter available. Calcium chloride melts ice faster than other deicers.
Winter is coming. It is that exciting time of the year of fireplaces, hot drinks, warm clothes, and unfortunately, ice. The best way to deal with snow and ice is to be ready to tackle any winter weather condition with the best ice melt products. There are many types of ice melts: rock salt (sodium chloride), magnesium chloride, and calcium сhloride.While there are many types of ice melts on the market, in this article we will be focusing on calcium chloride, and its range of uses. 041b061a72