Corn-based Compound Used for Ice and Snow Control on Roadways

Road crews around the country are preparing for winter weather by running preparedness drills and stocking up on road treatment products. The Missouri Department of Transportation (MODOT) added a new product to their lineup for dealing with ice and snow on the roadways, one that includes a corn-based compound.

“We added another road treatment option to our winter operations,” says MODOT St. Louis Maintenance Engineer, Mark Croarkin. “The corn-based portion of the product is a carrier for Magnesium Chloride.  There are similar products that result in an approximately 2% Magnesium Chloride treated salt that use other base materials.  These products typically cost a little more to mix, but they can be more effective.”

Croarkin says the corn-based product MODOT started using goes by IceBan® M20 or IceBan® 300.  “If I was trying to quantify I would estimate the IceBan® treated material is about 25% more effective overall,” says Croarkin. “The benefits we have seen depend on the temperature; the colder the storm the better results.”

According to AJP Corporation's website, “Ice Ban® is a natural liquid concentrate residue from the wet milling of corn and the production of alcohol. Ice Ban® is environmentally friendly, non-toxic to vegetation, and actually delivers valuable nutrients to the soil and may enhance vegetation growth. Ice Ban® is less corrosive on metal than other ice melters. In fact, it actually inhibits corrosion caused by chloride salts. Testing indicates that Ice Ban® is less corrosive than water. Ice Ban® freezes at temperatures lower than most other ice melters. Ice Ban® contains more molecules than other ice melters and has the potential to melt more ice.”

The corn-based compound is designed to keep roads ice-free longer. “For us, this is another tool in our toolbox to treat roadways,” Croarkin said.