De-Icing method
View Patent ↗A method of reducing the build up of ice or snow on roads. The method comprising mixing a solid de-icing material such as rock salt with a non brine additive solution such as an aqueous solution of a refined molasses stream. The de-icing material and additive solution being carried on a lorry 10 , and being mixed immediately prior to spreading on a road.
1. A deicing method comprising:
providing an additive solution that is essentially free of brine, said additive solution having a pH of from about 1.5 to about 8, and said additive solution having the following composition:
Moisture
about 35 to about 50%;
Monosaccharides (glucose/fructose)
about 2 to about 10%;
Disaccharides (sucrose)
about 1 to about 15%;
Other carbohydrates and polysaccharides
about 1 to about 10%;
Amino acid carbohydrate complexes
about 1 to about 10%;
Amino acids
about 1 to about 5%;
Other Nitrogenous compounds
about 10 to about 20%;
Organic acids
about 1 to about 10%; and
Total mineral salts
about 5 to about 25%;
providing a solid de-icing material;
mixing said additive solution with said solid de-icing material to form a non-brine de-icing mixture, wherein said additive solution is mixed at about 10 to about 90% by volume relative to the de-icing material; and
applying said mixture to a road, wherein said mixing takes place immediately prior to said applying.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising mixing an additive with water to form the additive solution immediately prior to mixing the additive solution with the solid de-icing material.
3. A method according to claim 1 , characterised in that the solid de-icing material is any of sodium chloride, magnesium chloride, calcium chloride, potassium chloride, calcium magnesium acetate, sodium acetate, urea, sodium formate or mixtures thereof.
4. A method according to claim 3 , characterised in that the solid de-icing material is rock salt.
5. A method according to claim 1 , characterised in that the additive solution is mixed as about 20 to about 40% by volume relative to the de-icing material.
6. A method according to claim 1 , characterised in that the additive solution is mixed with the de-icing material so as to provide about 1 to about 10% weight % of the additive relative to the de-icing material.
7. A method according to claim 6 , characterised in that the additive solution is mixed with the de-icing material so as to provide about 2.5 to about 3.5 weight % of the additive relative to the de-icing material.
8. A method according to claim 1 , characterised in that the mixture is spread from a vehicle, which vehicle carries the de-icing material and the additive solution, and which is equipped to mix the de-icing material and the additive solution.
9. A method according to claim 8 , characterised in that at least the parts of the vehicle which carry the de-icing material are sprayed with the additive solution, prior to filling the vehicle with the de-icing material.
10. A method according to claim 8 , characterised in that the vehicle is arranged to permit selective spreading of just de-icing material without additive solution.
11. A method according to claim 1 , characterised in that the additive is any of:
(i) a range of materials from agricultural by-products including one or more of a co-product of the refining of sugar beet or sugar cane, or a co-product from cereals, starch and carbohydrate syrup production, or co-products from processing or fermentation of cereal starch, sugar and other carbohydrate co-products;
(ii) a co-product of the production of sucrose from the processing of sugar cane or sugar beet;
(iii) a material containing a refined cane molasses stream, a refined beet molasses stream, or a mixture thereof;
(iv) a range of solubles from different production industries; including steepwater solubles produced as by-products from a wet milling process of corn; or vintners condensed solubles comprising by-products from the fermentation and production of wine from grapes and other fruit, or from grains; or brewers distillery/condensed solubles (BDS/BCS) as by-products from a commercial beer brewing process;
(v) by-products from the production of cheese from various milks, commonly known in the cheese making industry as “whey”;
(vi) by-products from the production of biodiesel including processed glycerol streams with reduced or no fatty acid content.
12. A method according to claim 1 , characterised in that the additive includes liquid non chloride de-icers selected from the group consisting of potassium acetate, potassium formate, ethylene glycol, polyethylene glycols, propylene glycol, and polypropylene glycols, and may include a suitable corrosion inhibitor.
13. The method of claim 1 , wherein said additive solution comprises less than about 1% by weight brine, based upon the weight of the additive solution taken as 100% by weight.
14. The method of claim 1 , wherein said additive solution comprises less than about 0.5% by weight salt, based upon the weight of the additive solution taken as 100% by weight.
15. The method of claim 1 , wherein said mixing takes place within about 2 seconds of applying said mixture to the road.
16. A deicing method comprising:
providing an additive solution that is essentially free of brine, said additive solution having a pH of from about 1.5 to about 8, and said additive solution having the following composition:
Glycerol
about 75 to about 99.9%;
Water
about 0.05 to about 20%;
Salt content (NaCl or K2SO4)
about 0.01 to about 10%;
Ash
about 0.01 to about 7%;
Material Organic Non-Glycerol
about 0.01 to about 5%; and
(Free Fatty Acids)
Methanol
about 0.01 to about 0.5%;
providing a solid de-icing material;
mixing said additive solution with said solid de-icing material to form anon-brine de-icing mixture, wherein said additive solution is mixed at about 10 to about 90% by volume relative to the de-icing material; and
applying said mixture to a road, wherein said mixing takes place immediately prior to said applying.