FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Frequently asked questions
What are complex chlorides?
Chloride salts are a common deicing ingredient because they naturally interfere with water's ability to freeze. Ice Slicer contains a homogenous blend of 4 different chloride salts: sodium chloride, magnesium chloride, calcium chloride, and potassium chloride. These powerful ingredients work together to efficiently melt ice and snow under a wider range of storm conditions and down to lower temperatures than "simple chloride" deicers (like white rock salt).
Is Ice Slicer safe for the environment?
Ice Slicer is harvested from an ancient sea deposit, so the chloride salts and trace minerals found in our deicer come straight from nature. This mineral blend is geologically and chemically unique and high performing so it can be used in lower concentrations and still get the job done. When applied using our recommended rates, Ice Slicer is safe for roadside plants, soil, and animals. As it is naturally diluted with melting ice and snow, Ice Slicer also protects waterway health all the way downstream. Due to our product's rough natural texture, you can also reduce and even eliminate the need for dusty, air polluting aggregates.
Will Ice Slicer work in colder temperatures?
Yes, Ice Slicer is a high performing, Complex Chloride™ deicer. Instead of just 1 or 2 chloride salts, Ice Slicer contains the synergy of 4 chloride salts (sodium chloride, magnesium chloride, calcium chloride, and potassium chloride) that work together to quickly melt snow down to 0 degrees.
Why is Ice Slicer red?
Ice Slicer is red because nature made it that way. As an ancient mined salt, it contains a unique mix of colorful trace minerals and micronutrients from its region’s local geology (central Utah). This natural color will not leach out or wash off, and gives Ice Slicer multiple advantages. First, the driving public and snow fighters can more easily see which roads have been treated. Second, Ice Slicer's darker color enhances its performance as it absorbs 50% more heat from the sun, melting ice and snow quicker than lighter deicers.
What makes Ice Slicer different from White Salt?
White salt is straight sodium chloride harvested using evaporation. Ice Slicer is a Complex Chloride™ deicer that has 4 chloride salts, mined from a Jurassic sea deposit in Utah. Our unique formula melts faster, lasts longer, and works in a wider set of storm conditions and temperature ranges than white salt. Because of this higher performance, Ice Slicer melts more with less, giving it a great value advantage over white salt.
What makes Ice Slicer different from treated salt?
Some suppliers take simple chloride deicers and coat them with additional liquid chlorides in an attempt to boost performance. These treated salts are not the same as homogenous blends like Ice Slicer. They quickly leach off their liquid chloride treatment and their performance diminishes significantly. Ice Slicer starts strong and finishes strong as it effectively prevents re-freezing cycles longer than treated salt.
What should my application rate be with Ice Slicer?
Ice Slicer (without aggregates like sand, cinders, or gravel) should be applied at an average of 150-300 lbs. per lane mile. Application rates can vary depending on a variety of road and storm conditions such as: road temperature, air temperature, precipitation rate, traffic flow, sun exposure, and more.
Will Ice Slicer damage concrete?
Ice Slicer is much gentler on concrete than other deicing products. Our chloride based formula is less acidic than ammonium based salts, and more effectively protects concrete alkalinity. Our unique blend of 60+ trace minerals act as a natural corrosion inhibitor and buffer the effects of chlorides on paved surfaces. Ice Slicer's long lasting performance also reduces the number of pressure changing freeze-thaw cycles that cause concrete damage.
Is Ice Slicer more corrosive than white salt?
Ice Slicer is less corrosive than white salt. Our formula contains natural mineral buffers and releases fewer chlorides into the environment, greatly minimizing corrosive effects on infrastructure.
Where is Ice Slicer sourced?
Ice Slicer is harvested from the Redmond Mine, an ancient sea mineral deposit located in central Utah. This rich mineral source is the foundation for a wide family of all natural Redmond Minerals products, enjoyed by many different industries. Ice Slicer is proud to be made in the U.S.A. with ingredients sourced directly from American soil.
How can I get Ice Slicer?
In Utah- 1-877-675-4237 or Info@iceslicer.com out of Utah- 1-800-369-3878 or info@envirotechservices.com
Is Ice Slicer the only red salt?
Other mined salts can be red, but will have different chemical and physical properties than Ice Slicer. Our red color comes from a unique blend of trace minerals that make up less than 10% of our product. Other red salts have a much higher amount of insoluble materials, making their products muddier, less powerful, and can actually cause dangerously slick road conditions. Ice Slicer on the other hand, is very skillfully mined from specific, natural deposits that contain the ideal ratio of chloride salts and trace minerals for peak performance.
Is Ice Slicer safe to eat?
Ice Slicer is 100% natural mineral salt harvested from the same deposit as our delicious, food-grade, Redmond Real Salt. While both salts come from the same source, each is mined and processed differently according to their industry's standards. We recommend using Ice Slicer as intended for paved surfaces, and save the Real Salt for your table.
Will Ice Slicer break windshields?
Customers are happy to report back to us, that switching from gravel to Ice Slicer stops complaint calls about broken and damaged windshields. We conducted our own tests to see these results for ourselves.
What makes a mined salt different from an evaporative salt?
Evaporation typically creates 100% sodium chloride products (white salt). Mined salts have a blend of salts and other minerals that are unique to the geology of where they were found.
Can I use less Ice Slicer than other deicing products?
Yes, Ice Slicer is able to take you further due to its colder melting capacity and longer lasting properties. Often, you can use half as much as typical white salt while also going out less frequently to reapply.
How should I compare Ice Slicer to other deicers?
Cost per lane mile or cost per storm are the best metrics to compare road treatments. These metrics are more accurate than cost per ton. If you pay less upfront for a poor performance product, you will end up paying a lot more in the long run as you have to use more product, more man hours, and equipment wear/tear. Interestingly, the product you put on the road is only about 8% of your total costs. Consider the direct costs of equipment, manpower, fuel, clean up, and the indirect costs of damage to infrastructure such as guard rails, delineator poles, the economic disruptions, liability, and you can see that your decision can have a broad impact. Paying a little bit more for the right product saves you significantly in the long run.
What advantages does Ice Slicer offer over liquid deicers?
Liquid deicing brines are popular and effective materials for winter road maintenance. However, liquids and solids are very different in practice. Liquids are effective “anti-icers” (i.e. applied BEFORE the storm to prevent ice-road bonding), but should not be used as “deicers” (i.e. applied during or after the storm to tackle snowpack), especially as temperatures start dropping. With chemical liquids such as brine, you are applying 23% chemicals and 77% water. With solid applications you are applying 100% active material. The current practice of simultaneously applying liquid and solid deicers is also proving to be a very effective deicing method. In a nutshell, where “dilution” is an issue, such as in heavy precipitation, solid application is the best approach. Loss of product from the road surface during application is a problem for all solid deicers. This can be minimized by pre-wetting the product at the spinner and by cautious application techniques and can activate and accelerate the melt rate when placed in contact with the snowpack.