Lowering the Freezing Point and Improving the Ice Melting Capacity of Deicers with Xylitol and Erythritol

Chloride-based deicing solutions are predominantly used for winter road maintenance; however, they are the leading source of corrosion in concrete pavements and bridges and are known to adversely affect crop production and aquatic life after runoff into soil and water bodies. To address these issues, this study explores the efficacy of corn-derived nontoxic polyol-based salt brine (23.30% NaCl) deicers as a sustainable alternative. This study evaluates two polyols, xylitol and erythritol, in varying weight concentrations ranging from 5.00% to 12.50%, focusing on their freezing point depression, ice melting capacity, and skid resistance. Freezing point depression tests indicated that 12.50% erythritol-based and 12.50% xylitol-based salt brine deicer achieved maximum freezing point depression at −37.53°C and −35.37°C, respectively. The ice melting capacity tests were conducted for the following weight concentrations: 0.00%, 5.00%, 10.00%, and 12.50% using an in-house experimental setup at four different temperatures: 0.00°C, −10.00°C, −20.00°C, and −30.00°C. Test results indicated that 12.50% erythritol-based and 12.50% xylitol-based salt brine deicers exhibited superior ice melting capacity with an increase of about 23.00% and 16.00%, respectively, compared to the conventional salt brine deicer at −20.00°C. Moreover, a 12.50% xylitol-based salt brine deicer exhibited slightly superior skid resistance compared to a 23.30% NaCl deicing solution in Portland cement concrete pavements.