Sciencemadness Discussion Board

Cheap OTC Calcium Chloride ... UK

Sulaiman - 10-12-2015 at 11:33

Whilst browsing in Poundland today I found this

DampTrap.jpg - 244kB

2x 75g of CaCl2 for £1, not as cheap as bulk but good for OTC

MolecularWorld - 10-12-2015 at 11:45

For those in the US and Canada: Dollar Tree Moisture Eliminators. 280g calcium chloride for $1.
Prestone Driveway Heat Ice Melt is also OTC calcium chloride, less hydrated, and cheaper per gram.

[Edited on 10-12-2015 by MolecularWorld]

Detonationology - 10-12-2015 at 11:54

Does both products come prilled? Seems like some it would be easy to slip on dry concrete with prills covering it.

[Edited on 12-10-2015 by Detonationology]

MolecularWorld - 10-12-2015 at 12:01

Quote: Originally posted by Detonationology  
Does both products come prilled? Seems like some it would be easy to slip on dry concrete with prills covering it.

The Moisture Eliminator contains fairly large crystals, possibly the dihydrate (they loose some mass and crumble on heating).

The Ice Melt is large, round prills, but (when used for the manufacturers intended purpose) they are easily crushed (eg; by walking on them) and dissolve readily, and if the correct amount is used, there shouldn't be too many prills left once the ice has melted. The ice melt is not intended to 'dry' the driveway.

[Edited on 10-12-2015 by MolecularWorld]

Detonationology - 11-12-2015 at 07:03

Quote:

Seems like some it would be easy to slip on dry concrete with prills covering it.
Quote: Originally posted by MolecularWorld  
The ice melt is not intended to 'dry' the driveway.
[Edited on 10-12-2015 by MolecularWorld]

By dry, I meant like putting it on the sidewalk before the snow, sleet or ice hits. Salt trucks around here put salt on the roads even if it is only 30% chance of snow, sleet or ice. The salt stays on the dry road until the next rain.

annaandherdad - 11-12-2015 at 07:17

I've been buying CaCl2 in 5kg amounts in the US. It takes some trouble to find anhydrous CaCl2, many of the sellers don't say if it's anhydrous or not. I imagine that for road and sidewalk salting it doesn't have to be anhydrous.