Ice Melt products such as Calcium Chloride and Magnesium Chloride are essential to keeping your roadways safe during the winter season. Since it is most cost-effective to purchase these products in bulk, it’s important to know: do deicers expire? Read more to learn about the makeup of ice melt products and how to store them properly to maximize their use over more than one season.
Types of Ice Melt Deicer Products
The most popular types of ice melt products are Calcium Chloride, Magnesium Chloride, and Brine solutions. Calcium Chloride is a hygroscopic salt that utilizes these properties to absorb moisture from the air and lower the freezing point of water to prevent ice build-up. Magnesium Chloride works in the same way, and these two products differ based on their chemical makeup and chloride concentration. It can be said that Calcium Chloride is typically available in higher chloride concentrations, allowing less product per application and potentially being more cost-effective, however, Magnesium Chloride is slightly more environmentally friendly. Brine solutions are typically a mixture of sodium chloride and water, and come in varying concentrations. The concentration of sodium chloride affects the potential freezing point of water, and thus the effectiveness of the product. Typically, brine solutions are not as concentrated as chlorides and may require more applications and a higher degree of product.
How to Store Ice Melt Deicer Products
You want your deicer and ice melt products to last for many winter seasons to come, making storage crucial to ensure the effectiveness of these products. You want to be sure that any open products are tightly sealed before storage. Deicers and ice melt should be tightly sealed and protected from moisture and exposure to direct sunlight. The ideal location would be in a climate-controlled warehouse or shed to prevent the products from having a reaction before coming in contact with winter ice. However, mass storage of these products often requires outdoor areas for storage. In that case, it’s vital to cover and seal packaged products for multi-surface protection from moisture and sun. Check out this article to learn even more about the ideal storage conditions for ice melt products to maximize their effectiveness for winter seasons to come.
Do Deicers Expire?
Good News! Most ice melt products do not expire! This is because salt products contain chloride which is a mineral that never goes bad. With this being said, products can become less effective if not stored properly. Yep, it’s back to ice melt storage again. Due to the hygroscopic nature of chlorides, any moisture these products come into contact with will elicit even the slightest of reactions. To utilize your chloride ice melt product most effectively, you don’t want it to have previously reacted before being applied to your target icy area. If you follow the storage guidelines and have unopened bags, they should last for seasons. Opened bags of chloride ice melt will still work but may require a greater amount of product – making them less cost-effective.
There are also other types of ice melt such as rock salt. Rock salt follows the same principles for storage and expiration because rock salt also contains sodium chloride, allowing it not to “expire” but making it sensitive to moisture. While salt products technically do not expire, you should expect an average shelf life of around 2 years for maximum effectiveness.
Invest in High Quality Ice Melt Products: SISCU
Higher quality ice melt products will last longer, as they will contain the best ingredients and be protected in secure packaging. Snow & Ice Salt & Chemicals Unlimited (SISCU) offers premium ice melt products and 24/7 pickup. Whether you are looking for Calcium Chloride, Magnesium Chloride, Brine Solutions, or Rock Salt, SISCU has a product to prevent ice build-up and create safe road conditions for any climate. Check out the various ice melt products SISCU has to offer to make sure you are prepared for snowy winter seasons to come or contact us for details!