Brine

Further Info:
Standard brine is a simple mixture of water and NaCL salt.  A pure or eutectic NaCl salt brine is 23.3% salt concentration by weight. A eutectic salt brine is capable of being applied at temperatures as low as -21°C without freezing. For lower temperatures other salt such as Calcium Chloride CaCl capable of temperatures as low as -51°C can also be used. To make brine, a Brine Saturator is required that is capable of producing brine at this correct concentration in a reliable way. 

Why Use Salt Brine?

  • Using salt brine can save up to 78% of your annual salt bill.
  • Brine does not bounce or blow off the road meaning it stays there for much, so much longer that it allows you to provide additional time to respond to freezing precipitation. 
  • The application of salt brine will reduce the number of second call outs that are needed in a winter services operation.
  • Brine can be deployed onto road surfaces at greater vehicle speeds of up to 80km/h improving treatment response times.
  • There is less of a need to call in employees on an overtime basis to treat bridges and overpasses that have a tendency to freeze, or following small snow showers which create a dusting of snow on the road.
  • It's a simple and safe anti-icing treatment that helps prevent the bonding of ice to road surfaces. 
  • Brine melts frozen precipitation faster than dry rock salt. It can be used to pre-wet salt (reducing application scatter) or it can be used to generate hot or active salt slurry and more.
  • Can be applied a number of days before it snows, unlike dry salt.
  • Stops snow hardening on roadways.
  • Increased efficiency results in the use of less salt, minimizing environmental concern.
  • Pre-Wet and Full-Wet Treatment is now becoming "the standard" adopted by road authorities throughout Ireland, the UK and Europe.

How Does Brine Compare To Dry Salt?

Brine has many major advantages over dry salt.  The first advantage is that Brine can be applied up to two days before the snow arrives.  This is obviously ideal as the ploughs don't need to be driving as often on the dangerous roadways once it starts to snow.  This also lessens the service company's payroll costs. 

Another thing to note is that because Brine is liquid, it doesn't get bounced around or blown off the roadway while being spread.

After a short period, the dry salt will begin to dissipate from the road surface mainly due to wind and also being removed by vehicles from the main driving track. Brine effectively coats the road and will not dissipate meaning that far more of the treatment stays on the road and thus remains effective for much longer.

Dry Salt needs moisture to activate but brine is effective immediately especially when the roads are dry. It is instantly active and there is no delay in its effectiveness.
If you are interested in learning more about brine and how it can help you improve your winter maintenance service please contact WinterTech Systems. 

We can also organise demo & training days.