Project Summary
Relative to de-icing and sanding, anti-icing leads to improved level of service (LOS), reduced need for chemicals, and associated cost savings and safety and mobility benefits. Yet, the anti-icers available on the market are plagued by growing concerns over their corrosion to metals (chlorides), impact on concrete and asphalt (acetates), toxicity to the aquatic resources (agro-based products), etc. Agencies are constantly seeking for alternatives that maximize the benefits of acetates and agro-based products while minimizing their drawbacks. Meanwhile, research is needed for value-added utilization of desugared beet molasses and glycerol, which are the principal by-product of beet sugar refining and biodiesel production, respectively. The objective of this project is to develop innovative anti-icing formulations for snow and ice control on highways, using beet sugar refining by-products, glycerol, and other bio-based additives for freezing-point suppression, performance enhancement, and corrosion inhibition.
