How Do Ice Melters Work?
All ice melters work basically the same way – they lower the freezing point of water.
If you lower its freezing point below the outside temperature, ice melts. How does
the chemical get into the ice? It does so by dissolving in the extremely thin layer
of liquid water that is always present on ice.
|
|
Diamond Crystal® makes choosing the right ice melter easy with our diamond rating system. The greater the benefits, including temperature effectiveness, the higher the diamond rating.
Above 20°F, all ice melters can begin dissolving in water at the ice surface. Between 5°F and 20F, some ice melting compounds, such as sodium chloride (rock salt), will still dissolve easily enough to make ice melt.
Below 5°F, many ice melters can no longer dissolve, and become ineffective. However, several Diamond Crystal® ice melters contain magnesium chloride and calcium chloride which are still effective at these colder temperatures.
