Deicing Products > Cryotech NAAC®
A new generation deicer is here - Cryotech NAAC® solid runway deicer. Certified to U.S. Federal Aviation Administration approved specifications for use by airports and military units, NAAC is “anhydrous grade” sodium acetate. It is a high performance replacement for urea.
Airports and military units have benefited for the past several years from the performance and environmental advantages of Cryotech's liquid potassium acetate runway deicer, E36®, which replaced glycol-based products. Urea has long been the standard solid deicer, providing safe operations but at some cost to the environment.
In 1995, Cryotech sponsored winter field trials with "trihydrate grade" sodium acetate with the intention of finding an environmental alternative to urea and a complementary solid for E36. Trihydrate grade is about 63% sodium acetate by weight. These trials resulted in trihydrate's rejection primarily for performance reasons.
Work then continued on anhydrous grade sodium acetate - 97% anhydrous sodium acetate by weight. Successful airport trials were conducted during the 1997-98 winter season. These tests showed significant performance gains from anhydrous grade in comparison to both urea and the earlier trihydrate grade sodium acetate. At the same time Michigan Technological University's Keweenaw Research Center conducted laboratory studies - much of which is summarized here. The new anhydrous formulation was certified to FAA-approved specifications and trade named Cryotech NAAC® solid runway deicer.
Using Cryotech's patented manufacturing process, NAAC is produced as a spherical pellet. This configuration minimizes dust, reduces compaction in storage, and results in even spread patterns.
NAAC contains less than 1% inhibitors by weight and is compatible with liquid potassium acetate deicers. Therefore, prewetting NAAC at the spreader spinner with E36 is an acceptable practice. It may also be used to deice roads, parking garages and walkways.
Please see the NAAC Fact Sheet for a brief summary of NAAC's benefits, application information, and product specifications.
Summarizing NAAC'S advantages compared to urea:
* Safer for the environment
* Works at lower temperatures
* Works faster
* Requires less material
* Lasts longer
