Product Application
NAAC may be used in the same manner as urea. However, less NAAC will be required to accomplish the same deicing objective, because it is more effective as shown by the accompanying ice penetration graph. In 1993, Transport Canada reported the following test results: “The required application rate for sodium acetate is about two-thirds of that for urea to achieve similar effectiveness . . .”
Ice Penetration Test:
- NAAC may be used as an anti-icer or as a deicer.
- NAAC's effectiveness as a deicer - to melt through pack - is enhanced by prewetting with E36 at the spreader spinner. Prewetting causes NAAC to stick and begin melting almost immediately after application. The freezing point of the combined products is lower than that of NAAC alone.
- NAAC may be used as an anti-icer, applied just as the storm event begins. With a small amount of precipitation on the surface - freezing rain, ice or snow - NAAC will activate, and keep ice bonds from forming at the surface. This anti-icing strategy is an effective addition to liquid anti-icing programs during freezing rain conditions.
- NAAC may be used in conjunction with E36 to solve serious pack conditions. First, apply NAAC to the pack. After holes are punched in the pack, apply E36 - the liquid then has a path to the pavement surface and quickly breaks the pack prior to mechanical removal.
- The amount of NAAC to be applied is determined by the surface temperature, the ambient temperature, and the quality and quantity of pack. Conditions vary; therefore, the application rate guide suggests starting points to be adjusted locally as required. The guide provides application rates on light ice that achieve a wet, ice-free surface at various temperatures.
- Generally, the longer ice remains, the stronger it bonds to the surface, making removal more difficult. For this reason early application enhances the effectiveness of deicers.
Application Rate Guide:
For further application/handling information, please see the NAAC Airport Application Guide.
