Mag Chloride removal?

[John Mc]

Guys, I know this is a V-8 Forum, but the environmentalists have now pushed their agenda once more and now we are using liquid mag-chloride (LMC) on our roads here in Illinois instead of road salt.
Besides being HIGHLY corrosive to all metal and electronics, it seems impossible to remove from a car's body. Normal car wash liquid? Forget it, it will do nothing. Anyone have any tips on removing this mess? If you have not met this stuff, you're in for a surprise!

[J Franklin]

Don't know how to wash it off your vehicle but here is some information for those that want to know more about the chemical you are referring to. This is from wikipedia: Use as an anti-icer:
A number of state highway departments throughout the United States have decreased the use of rock salt and sand on roadways and have increased the use of solutions of magnesium chloride (often called "liquid magnesium chloride") as a de-icer or anti-icer. Magnesium chloride is much less toxic to plant life surrounding highways and airports, and is less corrosive to concrete and steel (and other iron alloys) than sodium chloride. The liquid magnesium chloride is sprayed on dry pavement (tarmac) prior to precipitation or wet pavement prior to freezing temperatures in the winter months to prevent snow and ice from adhering and bonding to the roadway. The application of anti-icers is utilized in an effort to improve highway safety. Magnesium chloride is also sold in crystal form for household and business use to de-ice sidewalks and driveways. In these applications, the compound is applied after precipitation has fallen or ice has formed, instead of previously.

The use of this compound seems to show an improvement in driving conditions during and after freezing precipitation, but it can damage electric utilities. This occurs in two ways: contamination of insulators, causing tracking and arcing across them, and corrosion of steel and aluminium poles and pole hardware.

[edit]Use in dust and erosion control
Road departments and private industry may apply liquid or powdered magnesium chloride to control dust and erosion on unimproved (dirt or gravel) roads and dusty job sites such as quarries. Its hygroscopy makes it absorb moisture from the air, controlling the number of small particles which become airborne. Magnesium Chloride is acidic due to the hydrochloric compound for the amplification of electrified hydrogen atoms. Owners of indoor arenas (e.g. for horse riding) may apply magnesium chloride to sand or other floor materials to control dust.

[33cabriolet]

this stuff is going to corrode our cars more than salt,in Washington We have seen an increase in corrosion in just the first year.Just wait until it gets into the electrictal componets in aircraft, they are starting to have problems, allready they are having problems with exposed switches.

[John Mc]

Wait til the "average Joe" finds out he's just spent $20 on a car wash with dismal results. It appears to me that the real costs of this stuff is yet to show up. Watch out, the tree huggers have won again!

[Old Henry]

Apparently, the residue of magnesium chloride is much like a calcium deposit that can be removed by mild acids such as vinegar and oxalic acid. See here: http://www.ehow.com/how_5029918_clea...de-stains.html

[Clem Clement]

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In the DC area(MD) they put this stuff down the other morning. They applied it wrong causing several accidents as theroad became slippery. DOT admitted the error. I do note aggresive corrosion on my 2005 Tahoe
clem

[J Franklin]

John Mc, you will get this thread shut down if you continue to throw inflammatory political pronouncements into it! It is our Municipalities who chose the de-icing products they use. It is your government that you need to correct if they have it all wrong. The product most likely was pushed by the chemical companies and not people concerned with the roadside.

[John Mc]

Fair enough, I'm just looking for some technical help on how get it off our cars. The link sent above by Old Henry seems fine for small areas, but is it practical to have your entire car "soak" with a vinegar solution? There has to be an answer to this problem.

[1931 flamingo]

I believe cost and then the spring clean-up of old sand enter into the equation. JMO
Paul in CT

[J Franklin]

If there are any fleet owners in your area I would bet they have some ideas, they would have a lot at stake over this.

[Old Henry]

Originally Posted by John Mc

is it practical to have your entire car "soak" with a vinegar solution? There has to be an answer to this problem.

I don't know if Utah uses mag-clor. I don't have any problem rinsing off whatever they use with just plain water. So, I haven't tried what I'm going to suggest, but, if it really is like a calcium deposit, a little vinegar in a bucket of warm soapy water with a sponge would seem to do the trick. Try it and let us know how it works.

P.S. I never run my 47 sedan through a high pressure car wash because it's just not water tight enough so I don't know how they would work. Many web sites say that the better car washes in the states that use mag-clor add something to their fluids to deal with that. Maybe that's something to try.

[40 Deluxe]

This stuff is evil! I work for the AZ DOT in northern AZ where this stuff is used heavily all along I-40 and other areas above 5,000 or so ft. Don't buy an Arizona car expecting it to be rust-free anymore!

[345 DeSoto]

We don't use it in Florida...

[mtflat]

JFranklin, this is totally a political issue. Nothing wrong with the older, more labor intensive methods, except it uses more man power to sweep up the excess sand/gravel in the spring and puts more dust into the air. Who has a problem with that? The EPA only.

Mag chloride, while not as corrosive, is still corrosive. It gets into wiring connections and by it's hygroscopic nature continues to pull atmospheric moisture into those components. It will destroy your wiring and tail light connections first with the rest to follow soon after. Ask any truck fleet that runs thru mag-chloride and you'll get an ear full.

Mag chloride is much more expensive. Our government agencies, under pressure from the EPA have chosen to spend more on the product, eliminate jobs for those who clean up the sand and destroy the sheetmetal in vehicles. The only ones who profit from this are the chemical companies.

Follow the money back and I'd look close at the connection between the chem companies and the EPA. In the meantime jobs are lost, the environment is marginally improved and you'd better quit driving your old iron or watch it slowly dissolve.

Finally, its nearly impossible to clean off. After a couple years of budget-breaking snow control the idiots in office here have gone to using liquid salt this winter. Oh joy!

Go ahead and ask how I really feel about this topic

[George/Maine]

That is some nasty stuff put steel brake lines on year later had rust.Cars and trucks rusting bad only few years old.That is one way to sell cars and with all the safety things like anti lock brakes,trackion control people still don,t know how to drive.The take on it is if you can save one life its worth it.Its snowing this morning and have hill 1 mile up road, days like this i have to go around to avoid it, good thing i,m not working.It is a good way to get rid of hasart matierl.You can,t srible on computer.LOL

[oldandtired]

Hydrogen chloride is a gas. In solution, it is Hydrochloric acid and is commercially easily available as Muriatic Acid It is great for cleaning scale and for cleaning concrete and the like. It may well work to remove magnesium salt deposits, but I would be reluctant to use it on a vehicle.

[Ggmac]

Gentlemen, the op was from 2010 .

[terry]

Pogo said "We have met the enemy and he is us." But in all honesty i think he met the people who are still throwing garbage and such along our roads. terry

[highbeams]

Midwest road de-icing . . . a MAJOR reason I moved from Wis to 'way out west' in '78, enjoying Colo 12 yr, NM 12 yr, Central Coast CA 20+yr presently.
Thank you for your perusal.

[Newc]

Retired electrician- All that stuff is trouble electrically. White vinegar is very cheap by the gallon at a large store. Maybe a mild solution will work?? Newc