Method for Determining Ice Undercut Temperature of Deicing Chemicals

In our previous research of freeze-thaw cycle corrosion tests on rebars with various deicing chemicals, the observed freezing points of some chemicals were not low enough to be effective deicers. Also, published data on ice undercutting rates show variation depending on test conditions. Thus, it is necessary to accurately determine ice undercutting rates of these chemicals. In this study, a simple laboratory method was developed to determine the ice undercutting rates of deicing chemicals. The ice undercut rate decreased as the test temperature decreased. The undercutting rate decrease varied with type of deicing chemical. The lowest temperatures of CaCl ₂, MgCl ₂, NaCl, and calcium magnesium acetate (CMA) to be able to undercut ice in test tubes was −35, −22, −21, and −10°C, respectively. Freezing temperatures of solutions of various concentrations of deicing chemicals were measured using a procedure modified from ASTM D-1177. The freezing temperatures of deicing chemicals decreased as the concentrations of deicing chemicals increased.