Which Compound Is the Most Effective Deicer of Antifreeze?

Researched by Morgen A.
2000-01

 

PURPOSE

The purpose of this experiment was to determine which compound was the most effective deicer.  I also wanted to determine which compound was the most effective antifreeze.

I became interested in this idea when I read an article describing an experiment Doug Anyan, an employee at G.S. Long, was working on related to antifreezes on plant buds, which caused me to wonder which compound used for antifreezes and deicers would work the best.

The information gained from my experiment will aid consumers in choosing the most effective deicers and antifreeze for their household needs.

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HYPOTHESIS

My hypothesis was that propylene glycol would be the most effective deicer.  I also believed that calcium chloride would prove to be the most effective antifreeze.

I base my hypothesis on information I gathered from the Internet and from encyclopedias. 

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EXPERIMENT DESIGN

The constants in this study were:

 Temperature which the freezer was set at when freezing the water 
 Location of experiments
 Type of container used for holding the water
 Amount of water
Specific constants for Variable 1:
 Amount of time allowed to freeze water
 Amount of product applied to ice
 Amount of time allowed for product to melt ice
 Method of product application
 Increments used to measure results (milliliters)
 Type of graduated cylinder used to measure results
 Method for draining melted water
Specific constants for Variable 2:
 Amount of product mixed into water
 Increment of time used to measure results (1 hour) 
The manipulated variable was the product being tested for deicing and antifreeze 

The responding variable for deicing was the amount of water melted, and the responding variable for antifreeze was the time it took each solution to freeze.

To measure the responding variable for deicing I drained the melted water into a graduated cylinder after letting the compound melt the ice for 15 minutes and recorded my results in milliliters.

To measure the responding variable for antifreeze I placed each solution in a freezer and documented how long it took each to freeze.  I checked the solutions every hour until they froze, or until they had been in the freezer longer than the others but had not yet frozen. 

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MATERIALS
 
QUANTITY ITEM DESCRIPTION
7  15.24cm. by 15.24cm. containers
  Water
7  Graduated Cylinders (milliliters)
2 1/4 ounces  Sodium Chloride
2 1/4 ounces Calcium Chloride
2 1/4 ounces Potassium/Magnesium Chloride
67.5 milliliters Propylene Glycol
67.5 milliliters Ice Ban
67.5 milliliters Potassium Acetate
1 Freezer
7 Smaller containers 
  (Used only during the deicing testing
  to hold the measured compounds)
1 Scale

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PROCEDURES

Testing for Variable 1: Deicing

  1.  Label seven containers with the compound being applied to the ice (sodium chloride, calcium chloride, potassium/magnesium chloride, propylene glycol, Ice Ban, potassium acetate, or control)
  2.  Pour 100ml of water into a 15.24cm by 15.24cm container
  3.  Repeat step two until all the containers are filled 
  4.  Place all seven containers in a freezer and let them sit for 24 hours at 15°F (-9.4°C)
  5.  Using a scale, measure 1/2 ounce of each compound and then place the compound in a smaller holding container.  Do this the day after you place the water in the freezer, and about ten minutes before continuing with the following procedures.
  6.  Remove the container labeled "Sodium Chloride" from the freezer and apply the sodium chloride to the ice by sprinkling it evenly over the top of the ice.  If necessary spread it around with your fingers, but if you must do this, remember to wash your hands when you are done.
  7. As soon as you have applied the sodium chloride, take the container outside and place it on an elevated surface.  This experiment is best done during winter.  If going outside, because of the temperature, would dramatically alter your results, conduct your experiment inside with a freezer set at 15°F (-9.4°C)
  8.  After coming back inside, wait for three minutes until you apply the calcium chloride to its container.  This is to allow time for the conductor to measure the melted water of each container when that container's time is up.  You must keep close count of the minutes that elapse between the time you place each container outside.
  9.  Repeat steps 7 and 8 until all the containers are outside. 
  10.  After 15 minutes, bring in the container labeled, "Sodium Chloride"
  11.  Note:  When you get to the point of applying Ice Ban, after taking it outside it will be time to bring in the sodium chloride container and measure the results in milliliters.
  12.  Measure the results using milliliters by pouring the melted water into a granulated cylinder.  When measuring the results hold the ice with your thumb while you pour the water.
  13.  Note:  When measuring the liquids you have to subtract 15 from your end result to get the amount of water melted
  14.  Repeat steps 10 and 11 until all the containers contents have been measured. 
  15.  Complete two more trials for Variable 1, repeating above procedures.  Clean each container in a dishwasher before starting the next trail
  16.  After completing all trails find the average for each compound by adding them up and dividing by three 


 Testing for Variable 2: Antifreeze
 

  1.   Label seven containers with the compound that will be mixed into the water
  2.  Pour in 150ml of water into each container
  3.  Stir 1/4 ounce of Sodium Chloride into the container labeled "Sodium Chloride"
  4.  Repeat step 3 with the other containers, adding the correct compound to its correct container
  5.  Place the containers in the freezer and let them sit for an hour
  6.  After an hour remove one container at a time and observe if the water has started, or has, frozen
  7.  Place any containers that haven’t frozen back into the freezer and let them sit for another hour
  8.  Continue checking the containers until all of them have frozen solid.  In order to check to see if the contents have frozen, examine each containers contents and observe whether or not the contents have frozen.  If the contents haven't frozen, place them back in the freezer.
  9.  Document the solutions time to freeze in increments of an hour, such as "Sodium Chloride: 2 hours" The hours indicate how long it took for the Sodium Chloride solution to freeze. 
  10.  Complete two more trials for Variable 2.  Remember to wash each container in a dishwasher before starting another trial
  11.  When all trials have been completed find the average of the trials for each container

RESULTS

The original purpose of this experiment was to determine which compound was the best deicer.  I also set out to prove which compound was the best antifreeze.

The results of the experiment were that calcium chloride was the most effective deicer.  The results also indicate that sodium chloride was the most effective antifreeze. 

See the table and graphs

CONCLUSION

My hypothesis was that propylene glycol would prove to be the most effective deicer.  My second hypothesis was that calcium chloride would prove to be the most effective antifreeze.

The results indicate that my first hypothesis should be rejected because calcium chloride proved to be the best deicer.  My second hypothesis should be rejected also because sodium chloride proved to be the most effective antifreeze. 

Because of the results of this experiment, I wonder if different amounts of a compound would affect its antifreeze ability. 

If I were to conduct this project again I would conduct all of my testing using a freezer, including the freezing of the water and the conducting of the experiments.  This would enable me to obtain more accurate deicing results.  I also would have kept the amount of water I used constant through out the study, as well as the amount of each compound used.  To measure the results of my deicing variable I would have used granulated cylinders to measure the results at the end of the experiment.  I would also have used a more accurate way of telling when the solutions were frozen during the antifreeze testing than just the naked eye.  Finally, I would have chosen one type of compound (liquids or solids) and used only compounds from that category.

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RESEARCH REPORT

INTRODUCTION

Ice can be a dangerous part of our environment.  When roads freeze over, lives can be lost.  Deicers aid man in the war against ice.  Man has learned how to use salt and other natural minerals to fight ice.  They have also created new products that protect the environment as well as fight ice.  The sidewalks and roads of today's world are safer thanks to deicers.

Salt

Man has used salt, sodium chloride, for centuries. In some ancient civilizations, salt was used as a type of currency.  It was first used by man to keep their meat from spoiling. 

Salt the Mineral

Salt is one of the world’s most important minerals and has many different uses.  Salt contains sodium and chloride, therefore giving it its scientific name sodium chloride.  Its scientific formula is NaCl.  All salt comes from brine (salty water) which comes from the ocean, salty lakes, etc.  The leading countries in salt production are the United States and China.  Twenty percent of all salt in the U.S. is used for deicing or anti-icing purposes.  The majority though is consumed by the chemical industry to be used as flavoring for foods and melting ice on highways.

The Bodily Importance of Salt

The human body needs salt to maintain good health.  Your blood already contains some salt, and your cells need it to function properly.  But when the body contains too much salt it can lead to high blood pressure.  People with high blood pressure may try to reduce their salt intake.  They may use salt substitutes which completely lack sodium.  Sodium is believed to be the real cause of high blood pressure.

How Salt is Obtained 

Most of the world's salt is found underground.  This was caused by the evaporation of large parts of the ocean millions of years ago.  Today these salt deposits are the source of much of the world’s salt.  The salt can be obtained in two different ways.
One way is called the room-and-pillar method.  When using this method large shafts are sunken into the salt deposits.  The salt is then broken up into pieces and carried to the surface.  The draw-back to this method is half the salt is left behind as pillars. 
The second method is called solution mining.  First a well is dug in the salt.  Then two pipes are lowered into the well.  Each pipe has a central tube which pumps water down to the salt.  This causes the salt to dissolve into brine, which is then pumped back up to the surface.  There the brine is then sent to evaporating ponds where the water is evaporated out, leaving the salt behind.  The evaporating pond is the oldest way of obtaining salt and is still used today. 

Ice

Pure water freezes at 0° Celsius (32° Fahrenheit) creating ice.  Ice only forms in wet areas, such as areas that have a lot of precipitation but also have temperature drops below 0° Celsius.  Such places could be Seattle, Washington or Minnesota.  Lakes, rivers and other inland bodies of water can also fall victim to ice, but usually only the surfaces are frozen.  Ice is slippery because even though it’s frozen water, all ice has a thin layer of water near the surface.  The addition of other chemicals and substances in water affects the point at which it will freeze.  This is why many road crews apply salt to ice in order to melt it.

Deicers

What are deicers and what does the word mean?  The word deicer means a substance to melt or eliminate ice.  Deicers are mostly salt-based products, but some companies use other more effective and environmentally friendly chemicals.

Antifreezes

Antifreezes are substances used to lower a liquid’s freezing point.  This enables the liquid to remain in the liquid form longer than it originally could have.  Antifreezes are found mostly in a car radiator, which is the device used to prevent the engine from over-heating.  They are added to prevent the cooling liquid in the radiator from freezing.  This allows cars to run during the winter as well as in the summer.  The two most common antifreezes are Ethyl Alcohol and Methyl Alcohol.  These two antifreezes along with others are used not only in car engines, but also in refrigerators. 

Calcium Chloride

 Calcium Chloride is an effective deicer.  The reason is that calcium chloride is exothermic.  Something that is exothermic generates its own heat.  Calcium chloride’s chemical name is CaCl2 and it’s the only chemical on the common list of deicers that’s exothermic.
Calcium Chloride is a recommended deicer because of it ability to generate heat.  Calcium chloride’s "practical working temperature", the temperature that it is usually used at, is ?25°F (-31.7°C).  Its "eutectic temperature", its lowest working temperature is ?60°F.  These traits make calcium chloride an effective deicer.

Potassium Chloride

 Potassium chloride is used in many different fertilizers.  It’s also sold in grocery stores as a low salt substitute.  Potassium chloride’s practical working temperature is +25°F (-3.9°C), and its eutectic temperature is +12°F (-11.1°C).  It’s sometimes added to other deicers, most commonly rock salt, to help with the deicing process.  Potassium chloride’s chemical initials are KCl.

Magnesium Chloride

 Magnesium chloride is a colorless, odorless mineral.  It is used by some people to maintain their bodily magnesium as a supplement.  Magnesium chloride is important to maintain proper function of the muscles and nerves.  Its composition is MgCl.  Magnesium chloride has many uses in today’s world.  In the past its main purpose was to aid in the production of tofu.  Today it is still used for tofu production, but it’s also used in baby formula, sugar beat production, Epson salts, firming canned vegetables, and as a disinfectant.  But magnesium chloride also can be harmful.  It is advised for woman never to have any in-take of magnesium chloride while pregnant or nursing, even though no one is certain whether or not it would hurt the infant. 

Propylene Glycol

 Propylene glycol is a clear, colorless, and odorless compound.  It is also used as a solvent, which is a substance that is usually a liquid, and which can dissolve other substances.  It is a liquid used by many airports for deicing and anti-icing purposes.  CRYOTECH Inc. manufactures much of the propylene glycol used by airports, under the name of Kilfrost ABC-S.  Kilfrost has been approved by the FAA for use on aircraft and runways.

Ice Ban

Ice Ban is a liquid commercial deicing product used on roads and highways.  Ice Ban is unique because it penetrates snow and ice vertically.  It goes straight to the road’s surface and breaks the bond between ice and road.  Other deicers start working on the top layer of ice, and work their way down, taking longer to de-ice the roads, costing more money and man hours to finish the job.  Ice Ban also promotes good traction, preventing roads from becoming slippery after application.  Ice Ban is used both as a deicer and an anti-icer.

Potassium 

 Potassium is an essential mineral for the human body.  It helps cells maintain their acid level and fluid pressure.  Animals and humans all need potassium and they can only get it from the food they eat.  Banana’s have lots of potassium and are an excellent source of it.  The kidneys control the amount of potassium in the body.  When the kidneys don’t work properly, heart problems may arise.
Potassium is found in nature only in compounds.  There are chief deposits in Canada, Germany, and around the Dead Sea.  It’s obtained by evaporating sea water, and along with it is salt.  This allows manufacturers to obtain salt and potassium at the same time without extra costs.  Potassium is a soft, silver-white metal element.  It’s so soft that it can be cut with a knife.  Potassium is the second lightest metal in the world, next to lithium.  Potassium was discovered and named by an English chemist named Humphry Davy in 1807. 

SUMMARY

For hundreds of years man has used salt, whether it was to keep his food fresh, or to melt ice on modern day sidewalks.  Only recently has man discovered salt’s ability to melt ice and prevent it from forming.  Many forms of salt have been used for this purpose, and today other minerals and some new chemicals are being used as deicers.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

Adrogue, H., Adshedd S., Multhauf R., Rettiy, R., Schulkin, J.  "Salt (mineral)," Academic American Encyclopedia, Not given. Vol. 17. Pp. 38

"Antifreeze,"  Academic American Encyclopedia, Unknown. Vol. 2  Pg. 61

Barnhart, Robert K.  The American Heritage Dictionary of Science, Boston: Houghten Mifflin Company, 1986. Pp. 525, 607, 515

"Calcium Chloride."  [Online]  available http://members.lcic.com/henryk/calcium.htm, July 9, 2000

Dean, Walter E. Jr.  "Salt," World Book Encyclopedia, 1999. Vol. 17. Pp. 72-75

Devlin, Paul J.  "Ice," World Book Encyclopedia, 1999. Vol. 10. Pp. 4-5

Headlam, Catherine.  The Kingfisher Science Encyclopedia, New York: Kingfisher Books, 1993. Pp. 561

Ice Ban America Inc.  "What are the Unique Characteristics of Ice Ban?"  [Online] Available http://www.iceban.com/product-characteristics.html, Unknown

Knapp, Brian.  Sodium and Potassium, Danbury, CT: Atlantic Europe Publishing Company Limited, 1996.  Pp. 40

Lufferty, Peter and Rowe, Julian.  The Dictionary of Science, New York: Simon and Schuster, 1994.  Pp. 466

Morris, Steven.  "Information about Calcium Chloride: Properties."  [Online] Available http://www.calciumchloride.com/#deicing, 12/20/97

OnHealth.  "Vitamins and Minerals."  [Online]  available http://onhealth.webmd.com/fitness/resource/vitamins/item%2C71595.asp

Organic Materials Review Institute.  "Magnesium Chloride."  [Online]  available http://www.omri/Magnesium_chloride_processing.html

"Potassium Chloride."  [Online]  available http://users.tm.net/henryk/kcl.htm, July 9, 2000

"Rock Salt."  [Online]  available http://users.tm.net/henryk/rocksalt.htm, July 9, 2000

Salt Institute.  "Highway Deicing and Anti-icing for Safety and Mobility."  [Online] Available http://www.saltinstitute.org/30.html, Unknown

Shiver, Duward F.  "Potassium," World Book Encyclopedia, 1995. Vol. 15  Pg. 710

Standard Tar Products Co. Inc.  "MAG is Safer."  [Online]  available http://www.icemelters.com/mag.htm, 1998

Standard Tar Products Co. Inc.  "Magic Salt: Outperforms Regular Salt."  [Online] available http://www.icemelters.com/magicsalt.htm, 1998

Standard Tar Products Co. Inc.  "Road Crew: Ice Melting Crystals."  [Online] available http://www.icemelters.com/roadcrew.html, 1998

Standard Tar Products Co. Inc.  "Sno Melt: Instant Ice Melter."  [Online] available http://www.icemelters.com/snomelt.html, 1998
 
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

 I would like to thank the following people for their contributions towards my project.  Without their help my project wouldn’t have been as good as it is now.

  My father, Doug, for inspirering me to conduct this experiment and supplying me with the nessesary substances for testing

  Kenneth Newkirk for helping me through out the experiment and for letting me stay after school to work on my project

  Finally, Rita Pasckvale for giving me helpful tips to make my project better

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