The Pros And Cons Of Freezing Point Depression

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When living in an area with colder climates, icy roads can become a large and prominent issue. In 2009 in the United States alone, 477 people were killed in ice-related motor accidents (Icy Road Fatality Statistics, icyroadsafety.com). To battle the danger of driving in these conditions, the solution of de-icing the roadways with salt has become a widespread method for preventing accidents. This is because salt is used to melt the ice and snow and keep it from refreezing. The salt works by decreasing the melting or freezing point of the liquid. The result is called 'freezing point depression'. This method has both advantages and limitations, and though using salt to de-ice the roads saves many lives each year, it has considerable drawbacks.
When salt (NaCl) is combined with water (H2O), an external compound is dissolved and introduced to the solution. The freezing point of H2O becomes lower as more particles are added until the point where the salt can no longer dissolve. For a solution of table salt (sodium chloride, NaCl) in water, this temperature is -23°C with precise laboratory situations. In real conditions, on a pavement or road, sodium chloride can only melt ice down to approximately -14°C, though this is still effective when combatting the ice. Freezing point depression is a colligative property of H2O. Colligative properties are properties of solutions that depend on the number of particles in a given volume of solvent and not on the mass of the particles. All dissolved particles among liquid solvents display colligative properties.
Using salt to de-ice roads has its merits, and from an economical standpoint, the treatment of salt to clear paths is seemingly a wise decision. Compared to other de-icing chemicals and metho...

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...il, flora and organisms. Since the salt attracts various creatures and increases the likelihood of vehicular accidents related to wild animals, it seems quite contrary in function. Salt helps prevent ice-associated accidents, but is directly responsible for incidents involving animals.
The only true positives seem to be aspects under economical and social terms, as in theory, using salt saves communities money and saves lives. The issues it causes though, socially, environmentally and ethically to the world around us, are staggering, and in my opinion, we could easily substitute salt for a different, less detrimental option. I would suggest the investment of EcoTraction, a traction product that is environmentally safe, derived of all natural substances and compounds, it is non-toxic and safe for animals to ingest, and do not harm infrastructure or water supplies.

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