Safecote - The Benefits

Financial

• No new capital outlay on machinery as Safecote is applied using existing equipment
• UK experience suggests reduction in rock salt consumption by 30% to 50%
• Safecote premix with rock salt reduces corrosion by 45% on carbon steel and 100% on aluminium compared to rock salt (TRL)
• Skid resistance values remain consistent
• Reduction to zero of concrete spalling and asphalt binder stripping
• Residual ''reactivation'' characteristic which continues for an extended period - reducing journeys and lane kilometres for gritting vehicles
• Reduced road bounce with enhanced target area spread
• Depressed freezing point at all dilution factors
• Removal of the need to wash down the gritter hopper

Environmental

• A natural agricultural co-product
• Biodegradable
• Biologically and chemically stable
• Maintains rock salt stockpile flowability eliminating need for use of ferrocyanide
• Will reduce the use of rock-salt which contains inorganic chloride salts
• Run-off dilution factor calculations assessed by TRL
• Safecote contains zero chlorides

Short-term benefits

• Reduces volume of salt required and used
• Safecote can be used as a prewet for faster response targeted spreading and increased longevity
• Surface retention and reactivation for subsequent incident's
• Replaces expensive Urea or Glycol in sensitive areas
• Reduces post-application highway surface clean-up
• Retains existing application equipment, no new capital investment

Long-term benefits

• Reduces corrosion of salt handling equipment
• Corrosion inhibition of metallic highway structures
• Surface damage of concrete and asphalt inhibited
• Greatly reduces long term environmental impact
• Is the most sustainable winter maintenance solution for the highway de-icing industry