Products

Road salt

Road salt is a product used to remove snow and ice from roads and pavements. It is a key product in the winter season, when it is necessary to maintain safety on the roads. Road salt consists of sodium chloride (NaCl) and is produced in various forms, including granules, flakes, crystals or liquid.

Composition: Road salt consists basically of only one component – sodium chloride (NaCl), which is usually produced from rock salt or sea salt. However, other substances such as magnesium may also be added to the road salt in order to improve its properties, such as lowering the melting point or increasing surface adhesion.

Application: The main use of road salt is to remove snow and ice from road surfaces and pavements during the winter season. Due to the chemical properties of sodium chloride, when salt is spread on the surface, it dissolves in melting snow or ice, reducing their quantity and reducing their adhesion to the surface. This makes it possible to ensure road safety, increase vehicle grip and reduce the risk of accidents.

Road salt is also used in industry, glass and ceramics, chemistry and pharmaceuticals, and as a preservative in the food industry.

However, it is important to use road salt in moderation, as excessive use of salt can lead to soil and groundwater contamination and adversely affect plants and animals. Therefore, it is recommended to use other methods, such as sand, gravel or other loose materials, where the use of road salt may be harmful.

Technical road salt (output)

During the winter season, every road manager must take care to remove snow and ice from roadways, sidewalks and other traffic routes. More and more often on Polish streets you can meet specialized vehicles that do not scatter, but spray the product preventing slippery. They usually use the so-called technical road salt.

Characteristics of starting salt

This preparation, which is used in various industries, is a technological waste resulting from processes using brine in membrane electrolysis. It consists of sodium chloride (min. 98% content), sulphates (max. 1,5%) and potassium ferrosocyanide acting as an anti-caking agent (approx. 0,0007-0,002%). Due to a large amount of impurities, it is grey in colour, but its physical properties are no different from pure sodium chloride.

Where does starting salt come from?

The largest producers of this substance in Poland are currently two companies: Ciech S. A. and Anwil S. A.

Ciech S. A. – a company with more than 70 years of tradition manufactures in its plants located in three countries in Europe (Poland, Germany, Romania) not only the substance intended to create the starting mixture, but also soda ash, calcium chloride, plant protection products and other organic chemicals, as well as glass packaging.
Anwil S. A. – a company based in Włocławek was founded in 1966 as Nitrogen plant. Initially, it was engaged in the production of ammonium nitrate, nitric acid and ammonia, and over time it also began to produce other chemicals and plastics.

Where is base starting salt used?

In Poland, this preparation is mainly used in winter maintenance, as it quickly copes with the removal of ice and slippery on roads. Thanks to its low granulation, it dissolves very quickly in water (properly balanced mixture can keep its liquid form at temperatures as low as -10°C). The product can be used in liquid or loose form directly on various communication lines. In addition to winter road maintenance, the preparation is also used in the chemical and energy industries.

In what form do we sell technical starting salt at ALPIMO?

In what form do we sell technical starting salt at ALPIMO?

Industrial Salt Blend with Sand

How to remove snow from the road surface as effectively as possible – this is the question all road managers ask themselves in winter. There are many different preparations available on the market that help increase trafficability and ensure safety for road users. One of them is mixtures of industrial salt with sand.

Which mines does the sodium chloride used to make industrial mixtures with sand come from?

At ALPIMO, we cooperate with a variety of suppliers, both from Poland and abroad. Among them are:

Kłodawa S.A. Mine – existing since 1949 Wielkopolska company extracts minerals of the highest purity. Specific grades can be used for direct use on surfaces, to create mixtures or to prepare solutions.
KGHM Mine – mining plants owned by the national tycoon “Polkowice-Sieroszowice” are located in the Lower Silesian Voivodeship. In addition to the 96% NaCl salt, copper and silver are also mined here.
Artemsol Mine – a Ukrainian company dating back to the 19th century is one of the largest miners in Europe. The mineral from Soledar has a high content of sodium chloride and a white-grey colour.
Soligorsk Mine – the world’s largest mining plant, which exports excellent quality minerals. The rocks mined by the Belarusian industrial plant are ideal for spreading road surfaces.

What is the difference between salt and sand mixture and regular road salt?

The answer is simple – composition. Apart from sodium chloride, these types of products also contain other aggregates, usually quartz sand. This combination is ideal for combating slippery roads and pavements and other transport routes during the winter season. They are usually used when the air temperature drops below 0°C, as they are better able to dissolve ice than pure formulations with no added sand.

In what form do we sell mixtures of industrial salt with sand?

Taking into account the full satisfaction of our customers, we offer the purchase of products in various grammages. Depending on the source of minerals, we can sell it in bulk, in bags of 15 kg and 50 kg, as well as in big bags of 500 kg and 1000 kg.

Magnesium Chloride

In the search for an alternative to road salt, which negatively affects the condition of the environment as well as contributes to faster corrosion of vehicles, magnesium chloride (MgCl2) has been used. It is an excellent product whose properties are increasingly appreciated. It can be used on all surfaces without damaging them – both for roads and sidewalks as well as green areas. It does not degrade the environment, on the contrary, it is a source of calcium for plants. In winter maintenance it is characterized by high efficiency at low temperatures. We assume that it effectively de-icing, melts snow at temperatures of up to 35 degrees Celsius. After sprinkling the de-icing surface, there is a rapid melting reaction, leaving the surface safe for vehicles and pedestrians as well as clean (no snow mud). It is assumed that the efficiency of this measure is about 2.5 kg/100m². Compared to the traditional agent which is road salt, the consumption of magnesium chloride is about 8 times less. Performance compensates for the difference in the purchase price. It is also possible to make mixtures of magnesium chloride with road salt, thus reducing the cost and obtaining a two-step process of liquidation of ice or snow.

In our offer you will find Magnesium Chloride of German production, already well known on our market.

Calcium Chloride

CaCl2, or calcium chloride, is a compound that due to its hygroscopic properties is widely used in construction, food and chemical industries and mining. Next to road salt, it is the main material for maintaining streets during the winter. It is a side effect of the process of obtaining sodium carbonate by the Solvaya method.

Calcium chloride is the best substitute for road salt, which is more effective than it due to the preservation of properties even at temperatures down to -20 degrees Celsius. Its advantage is fast and long-lasting action. It prevents ice from freezing to the road surface, which greatly increases safety on the street. Unlike industrial salt, it also has no effect on living organisms, which allows its safe use on pavements. Its use does not involve unsightly deposits, nor does it cause corrosion.

Available in our offer at a favorable price, calcium chloride helps to combat ice and snow, which accumulates on streets, bridges, parking lots or crossings. For this reason, it is also used at airports and ports. Thanks to its properties, it prevents goods from thawing and freezing to the ground. It allows to maintain dust control on rough roads, thus ensuring the safety of people moving on them and delaying the need to repair the roadway. It strengthens the soil and affects its compaction – because of this it is also used in road construction. Other uses include cement production, wheel loading in agricultural and industrial machinery, and gas drying.