Winter time years, when the temperature changes from +3 to -5, the earth is covered with a layer of ice.
And, for sure, there is not a single person who has not slipped or even fallen on the steps or path.
And when the temperature drops even lower, it becomes impossible to break the ice from the surface, so we wait until the sun warms up and this ice can be broken.
I want to offer you modern way ice removal and path maintenance winter period based on environmentally friendly application pure materials. These products will not replace a shovel or brush, but they will greatly help remove ice and snow, as well as prevent the formation of ice. The granules operate on the principle of a thermal drill and penetrate deeply into the ice, destroying its structure and connection with the surface without the formation of puddles and slush.
For example, you need to clean the area near your house. First, remove loose snow using a shovel and brush. Next, the surface is evenly sprinkled with granules. It can take several hours for a thick layer of ice to break down.
Rapid action product TOR ™ is made on the basis of calcium chloride.
Its granules irregular shape instantly (using the principle of a thermal drill) they penetrate into the thickness of the ice, destroying its structure and connection with the surface. After using it, the remaining ice can be easily removed with a brush and shovel.
As a result, the asphalt, paving stones or tiles remain undamaged. Imagine how you could remove them with just the sound of a shovel?
To remove a thick layer of ice, we use another product. ejik™. This is a long-acting product based on composite materials used to remove thick layers of snow and snowfall, as well as to prevent the formation of ice.
When the air is humid and cold weather is expected before it begins to fall, or even when snow has begun to fall, the surface is treated with ejik™, no ice will form on the treated surface and the snow can be easily removed with a shovel or broom.
TOR ™ will help when your car starts to slip on an icy surface: treat the ice in front of and behind the drive wheels - and in a few minutes you will easily get out of a hopeless situation. The canister with a lid is designed for uniform dispersion. It's convenient to keep in the trunk and have on hand in situations like this.
I would like to draw your attention to the environmental friendliness of the products and TOR™ And ejik™- neither people, nor animals, nor plants suffer from their use, and the treated surface, shoes and car tires remain unharmed.
Actually, I found this product useful for cleaning and preventing ice from forming on the stairs to the house. Ice, which could not be removed from the steps, was easily swept away after using the product TOR™, and to prevent ice formation, I evenly treated all stairs and paths with the product ejik™.
Comparative characteristics of the main types of deicing agents:
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Name |
Lowest freezing point |
Effective winter temperature range, up to |
Melting ability |
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Ice melt volume at -7ºC after 20 minutes |
The rate of penetration of a substance through ice at -7º C after 20 minutes |
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Magnesium chloride |
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Technical salt |
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Potassium chloride |
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Main advantages:
The package is designed to treat an area of up to 35 square meters. m.
The canister is designed to treat an area of up to 70 square meters. m.
One of the main problems of public utilities is always the removal of snow and ice, and despite the constant introduction of new methods of saving from ice, salt is still in use. The Village collected 5 street cleaning technologies in countries where snow falls in winter, learned about their pros and cons, and took comments from environmentalists, shoemakers and ordinary residents.
Harm. Salt is a chloride, very active substance. For example, several years ago it led to an accident at the Southern substation (St. Petersburg), when wires laid underground were disconnected. Salt leads to corrosion of pipes, bridges, cars, causes allergies, harms shoes, clothes, animal paws and historical monuments. Not to mention the environment, as it ends up in groundwater, soil and rivers.
Sidewalks are sprinkled with technical salt or salt mixtures based on it.
Snow removal in Kyiv
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The capital has advanced further than other regions in cleaning up territories. Moscow road workers are proud of their system preventive measures: Even before snow falls, roads are treated with liquid reagents - a 28% solution of calcium chloride and sodium chloride (table salt). The processing is done based on data from the weather service and a radar system that can predict the amount of precipitation with an accuracy of 1 mm of water or 1 cm of snow. Moscow utility workers love reagents - this year for the first time they decided to sprinkle their yards with them and sharply increased the volume of purchases of solid chemicals. |
An area of 88 million square meters is covered with 270,000 tons of salt. m. In winter, 2.1 billion rubles are spent monthly on cleaning Moscow roads. |
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Also on the streets you can find sand and traces of the action of the special mixture “Bionord”, which is used to clean sidewalks. It contains three types of salt: calcium chloride, magnesium chloride and sodium chloride. For the winter, the city purchased 92,000 tons of Bionord. For snow porridge, which is obtained as a result of the action of salt, there is even a special name - slush. Salt is capable of melting ice down to a temperature of minus 21 ° C, however, when the thermometer drops below minus 9–10 ° C, its effectiveness drops sharply. In Finland, salt is no longer used as soon as the temperature drops below minus 5 °C. Finnish meteorologists say roads become less slippery at very low temperatures. |
Opinion: Chemicals on the roads |
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In Helsinki, the snow is compacted and sprinkled with stone chips
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After much trial, error and scientific research Europe has almost completely abandoned the use of chemicals for melting snow and ice. In Berlin, for example, the law allows the use of salt only on dangerous sections of roads. Chemicals cause all too obvious harm to the environment and urban services. Fine sand is also not the best option. It generates dust, gets into the lungs and is not recyclable. While gravel and stone chips are environmentally friendly and economical, although initially they are more expensive than salt. |
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The method of spreading sand and other abrasive (hard and fine-grained) materials is called frictional: ice cannot be completely eliminated by this method, but road traction is improved. The main condition for using this technology is that roads need to be cleaned almost to the asphalt immediately after or during a snowfall. In some European cities there are even special boxes with gravel, placed for pedestrians so that residents can spread the sand themselves if it is very slippery. By the way, such boxes can sometimes be found in St. Petersburg, for example on Bolshoy Sampsonievsky Prospekt and near the Staraya Derevnya metro station. |
In 2010, 22 million euros were allocated for winter road maintenance in Finland, but due to heavy snowfalls the budget was exceeded by 17 million. |
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The method invented by Torgeir Vaa is being piloted in Sweden
In 2004, Sweden introduced new method fight against ice, which was invented by the Swedish scientist Torgeir Vaa. Fine sand in a ratio of 7 to 3 is mixed with hot water 90–95 °C and sprayed on the streets. Hot sand melts into the snow and makes the surface rough. This treatment lasts for 3–7 days with daily traffic of about 1,500 vehicles. Or until another snowfall passes.
Great Salt Lakes in Utah
Americans and Canadians mainly use magnesium chloride, which is mined in the Great Salt Lakes in Utah, to clean streets and sidewalks. MgCl2 contains less chlorine than other chlorides, and its efficiency is much higher at lower consumption. In the winter of 2010, the state of Maryland spent $50 million on road cleaning, and the state of Virginia spent $79 million. In Canada, $1 billion is allocated annually for winter road maintenance.
Calcium-magnesium acetate
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After snowfall in Aomori Prefecture
In the mountains of Japan, up to several meters of snow falls during the winter, and in cities - 15–20 cm per night. As a result, by the end of winter, sidewalks and intercity roads turn into narrow snow canyons with walls 2 human heights and higher. However, the roads in Japan are not treated in any way, they only clear the snow. Because in cities there is not so much ice a rare event. However, studded tires are prohibited in the country. By the way, clearing snow near houses and on sidewalks is the task of the residents themselves.
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In most cases, two traditional methods are used to remove ice from underfoot. Firstly, the use of a crowbar is to break up ice and snow.
But this method of getting rid of ice causes damage to the coating: it destroys asphalt, concrete or paving slabs. In the spring we have to restore these damages, spending money on repairs. Secondly, you can use a mixture of sand and salt - this is inexpensive, but this method also has a number of disadvantages.
It is not effective at temperatures below minus ten degrees Celsius, since the salt simply freezes and there is even more ice. In addition, since the sand-salt mixture is an abrasive, its particles remain on the shoes, which are carried indoors and scratch floor coverings. After using such a mixture, a lot of dirt is also formed, while sand and salt have a detrimental effect on lawns where plants die. Salt also corrodes metals and clogs storm sewer. Thus, the use of a mixture of sand and salt is not always effective and has extremely adverse effects.
What to do if you need to get rid of a thick layer of ice, quickly and efficiently, without harming the environment, and without repairing the asphalt afterwards? Currently, there is an excellent solution - the use of anti-icing reagents that are easy to use and do not harm either the asphalt or nature.
Consisting of granules, de-icing reagents, after hitting the ice, begin to heat up and melt it, as a result of which the ice layer loosens. After this, you just need to sweep it and you get a clean and completely non-slip road or sidewalk. The use of reagents is possible even at low temperatures, while shoes are not corroded and the environment is not harmed.
It seems that winter has decided to take revenge in full. And after relatively mild weather, it came to most regions fluffy snow. While children are happy, motorists and homeowners in the private sector do not share the excitement. Do you have to start every morning by clearing snow? Try this remedy. The snow will melt quickly, and an ice crust will not appear in its place.
Clearing snow is, of course, a physical activity, but it’s not the most pleasant activity. And finding an ice skating rink at the entrance to your house or garage is also not very happy. If sand and salt give only short-term results, try this remedy. It has been used for decades in the USA and cold European countries.
To quickly melt a snowdrift or ice, prepare (for every 2 liters of water):
Add alcohol and dishwashing liquid to a bucket of hot water, stir and immediately pour onto the area that needs to be cleared of snow and ice. You will notice that the snow will begin to hiss and bubble - this normal reaction. Everything will melt in just a minute, and you will only need to lightly clean up the remaining ice.
Why is this method better than others? And the fact is that since the freezing point of alcohol is much lower than that of water, after such a procedure ice does not form on the cleaned area. So, no skating rink and figure skating– the yard or driveway to the garage will remain clean.
When you're late for work in the morning, the last thing you want to see when leaving home is your car windows completely covered in ice. Driving with a frozen windshield is very dangerous, and cleaning it with a regular ice scraper will take too much precious time, and the glass can inadvertently be scratched. Fortunately, there are other options. If you want to learn how to defrost car windows quickly and painlessly, read on.
Buy anti-freeze or prepare it yourself. Pre-made anti-icing fluid can be found at most auto parts stores, especially in areas where winters are typically harsh. On the other hand, if you have run out of it everywhere, or you want to try to save money, then making anti-freeze yourself is not a problem, the recipe is very simple.
Spray the liquid onto the glass. The method of application is the same, no matter whether you bought it in a store or made it yourself. Spray the anti-freeze directly onto the icy areas of the glass and let it soak in. One or two minutes is enough - the more liquid you spray, the less time expectations.
Scrape off the ice. This can be done with a gloved hand, a plastic scraper, or any other suitable object. You will find that the ice now comes off much easier and faster, and requires much less time to clean. If during the process you come across particularly strong areas, then spray them with anti-freeze again.
Turn on the heated glass. This method is applicable only in extreme cases, when you do not have any warm water, no deicer, not even a scraper. For example, while you were working, freezing rain began to fall, and the windows of the car in the parking lot froze. Since you have to remove the ice with a plastic card or another object that is equally unsuitable for this purpose, it makes a clear sense to simplify the task for yourself. First, start the engine and set the heated glass to maximum. Do not turn it off during the entire process, and after a while the ice will soften and begin to melt, making your work much easier.
Find a suitable plastic card. Dig into your wallet and find a card that you won't mind using to clean your glass. Laminated ones are not suitable; they are not rigid and strong enough for this purpose. Try to choose a card that you don't really need, such as an expired bank card or a discount card from a store you no longer go to, because further actions could easily ruin it.
Start scraping. Press the long edge of the card at a right angle to the glass and press firmly. When cleaning, be careful not to bend the card, otherwise it may become deformed or even break.
Help yourself with wipers and washer. Chunks of ice will likely accumulate along the edges. Therefore, periodically water the glass with washer and turn on the wipers for a few seconds. The liquid will soften the remaining ice, and the wipers will break up and sweep away any accumulations along the edges of the glass. If you simultaneously use the plastic card, wipers, washer and heating, the ice shell will disappear from the windshield in just a few minutes.
Place the rice in a mitten or strong resealable bag and heat in microwave oven for 30-60 seconds. You may need more than one package, but several.
Get into your car and wipe the inside of the window with a bag of hot rice. This will heat the glass and the ice will melt.
Proceed carefully and quickly. Just as a glass can crack from boiling water, so a hot heating pad, if applied for a long time, can be too much stress for the glass. Therefore, keep the heating pad or bag in one place only until the ice begins to melt, and then move it to another area of the glass. To remove moisture, you can use the windshield wipers and roll down the side windows.
Cover the glass at night. There is only one reliable way avoid morning fuss with frozen windows - make sure that ice does not form at all. It's very simple: before leaving the car overnight, cover all the windows with towels, sheets of paper or pieces of cardboard. Key moment is that it must be done before that when frost or ice begins to form. Try to press the covering material tightly against the glass over its entire area so that there are no free areas left on which frost (and, accordingly, ice) could grow.
