Salt or in its chemical form is Na (sodium) Cl (Chloride) is an amazing substance. It was traded as currency, can be used to draw moisture and it turned Lots wife into a pillar of salt as soon as she looked back at Sodom.
In the landscape indusry its biggest use is as a melter of ice and the prevetion and mitigation of ice and slippery conditions.
We use Rock salt which is a coarse grade of salt this is not as well crushed as table salt and for good reason. Can you imagine trying to spread table salt and the kind of bridging you would get with regular table salt. It is the least expensive although requires higher application rates and is not as effective without an additive at lower temperatures.
Since salt has proved useful and the standard for melting ice, chemists have started adding in additive to make it work at colder temperatures.
Some of these additives make for rapid melting such as Potassium acetate and or Sodium Formate which cause an elevation in the temperature which makes the salt work at lower temperatures.
The next common additive is beet extract. regular salt works best above 25 degrees, adding beet juice extends the effective range down to minus 25 degrees. Known commercially as GEOMELT, the beet juice is made from the carbohydrate extract of sugar beets, and when mixed for use on roads can reduce the amount of salt needed by 30%.
liquid runway deicer are usually potassium acetate-based runway deicer and offer less corrosion related side effects which at airports is a concern for the mechanical well being of engine and flight components.
