Corrosion by Chloride Deicers on Highway Maintenance Equipment

Abstract

This work aimed to identify and evaluate best practices that could be implemented to minimize the corrosion of chloride deicers on winter application equipment and vehicles. Identified practices included design improvements, maintenance practices, anticorrosion coatings, corrosion inhibitors, salt removers, and so on. A nationwide survey was conducted to capture current knowledge about estimating the deicer corrosion costs to vehicles and equipment, defining the chloride deicer corrosion problem, and identifying best practices or products for managing the problem. For agencies that report deicer corrosion to equipment as a significant issue, the total cost of current corrosion management and corrosion risks related to deicer exposure was estimated to average $1.06 million and $14.05 million per year, respectively. On average, deicer exposure leads to risks in six areas: 17.3% depreciation in equipment value, 8.5% increase in equipment downtime, 11.9% reduction in equipment reliability, 17.3% reduction in equipment service life, 19.6% increase in premature repair and replacement, and 1.5% risk in safety from faulty parts on equipment. The survey identified four anticorrosion coating products, four spray-on corrosion inhibitors, and six salt removers as best products based on user experience. Subsequently, a screening test and a 2-week test with electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurements were conducted to assess the effectiveness of the products in reducing the corrosion effect of magnesium chloride solution to carbon steel. Under the investigated conditions, the best-performing coating (Rust Bullet), inhibitor (Krown), and salt removers (HoldTight and ChlorRid) were identified. They all showed outstanding performance in corrosion protection.