• RedAggroBest@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    2
    ·
    10 months ago

    It’s salt but it’s not sodium cloride. It’s usually calcium cloride. That’s usually good to -30/-34 F/C.

    • jak@sopuli.xyz
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      1
      ·
      10 months ago

      Interesting, I haven’t found anything to support that (but it’s weirdly difficult to research, so it could just be DDG not understanding what I’m looking for), do you have a source for that?

      I found halite (unrefined sodium chloride) as the primary type of rock salt in the US. Wikipedia lists beer, molasses, and beet juice as possible alternatives for roads or glycol and sugar for airlines.

      The EPA does list CaCl as an option, but notes that it’s both better for the environment and more expensive, so it’s reserved for vulnerable areas. I found this which doesn’t specify which they use, but gives an effective temperature range that sounds like NaCl for North Dakota.