2026 Volume 5 Issue 1 Pages 10-18
In snowy and cold regions, Spraying the Anti-Freeze Agents is important to prevent road surfaces from freezing. Chloride based deicers are widely used because of their superior cost and ice melting performance, but their impact on the roadside environment has become an issue. However, potassium acetate based deicers, which have less impact on the environment, has been using in western countries, but have not yet been put into practical use in Japan. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to apply potassium acetate based Anti-Freezing Agents to road surfaces during the winter season. Concretely, ingredients improving tests to eliminate the irritating odor, indoor ice melting performance tests, vehicle running tests and spraying tests on actual bridges were conducted. As a result, it was confirmed that the modified potassium acetate based deicers exhibited the same or better ice melting performance as the calcium chloride one. In addition, the increase in the coefficient of sliding friction and the decrease in braking distance were confirmed, as well as its effectiveness in preventing the road surface from freezing under icy conditions.
