What's the scoop with magnesium chloride? Corrosive? - The 1947 - Present Chevrolet & GMC Truck Message Board Network

**DeadheadNM** · 11-29-2013, 08:41 PM

I've heard the highway department here in NW MT uses magnesium chloride for roadway ice control. Anyone more knowledgeable than I know how damaging this stuff is to vehicles? I'd like to drive the 72's on occasion during the winter to circulate the fluids but won't if this stuff is really bad. Thanks, Pete

DT1 · 11-29-2013, 09:20 PM

FYI...

http://www.summitdaily.com/article/2...NEWS/101030050

**DeadheadNM** · 11-29-2013, 11:48 PM

Thanks - sounds not so good then...

**special-K** · 11-30-2013, 08:07 AM

I don't know of anything used to melt ice on roads to not be highly corrosive. It really sucks to have a fully capable 4wd that sits idle all winter because simply driving it will destroy it.

John H. · 11-30-2013, 12:20 PM

Pete,

I would keep them off the road until spring and a few good rains to wash the roads off just to be safe.

dan42 · 11-30-2013, 12:45 PM

They use that stuff for dust control on dirt roads as well.

pritch · 12-01-2013, 01:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dan42

They use that stuff for dust control on dirt roads as well.

It works darn good for that, too, but even that is hard to spray off. It seems...heavy. I did a job about 6 years ago up a dirt road where they used it for dust control, and where I park at my house, I can still tell it's there just from what dripped off my truck. And at our wash bay at the shop, it was harder to clean it off the concrete after a wash. Normal dirt sprays right to the drain, but this stuff just sat there.

The Utaliban has rigged up spray systems on a lot of freeway bridges around here and they use the heck out of it. UDOT has a zero tolerance for snow and ice on the roads.

CGerow · 12-01-2013, 02:16 AM

Magnesium Chloride = Liquid Salt.....basically. We use it up here in Can A Duh, and it does work well for ice and snow control, but there is not a chance that I would drive my classic chevy on a road that I has been applied to.

Spartan · 12-01-2013, 03:04 AM

They mix the mag with water but it's not just liquid salt. It's totally corrosive and is banned in places for environmental reasons. It kills rainbow trout and other aquatic life as runoff. I would prefer a chance to go fishing over deiced roads myself. It doesn't snow much at my place tho. I do have studs if I need them tho.
IMHO the trout win out. I lived in lake Tahoe where salt are banned and rock works fine.

CGerow · 12-01-2013, 05:49 PM

Magnesium chloride is the name for the chemical compounds with the formulas MgCl2 and its various hydrates MgCl2(H2O)x. These salts are typical ionic halides, being highly soluble in water. The hydrated magnesium chloride can be extracted from brine or sea water. In North America, magnesium chloride is produced primarily from Great Salt Lake brine. It is extracted in a similar process from the Dead Sea in Jordan valley . Magnesium chloride as the natural mineral bischofite is also extracted (via solution mining) out of ancient seabeds; for example, the Zechstein seabed in northwest Europe. Some magnesium chloride is made from solar evaporation of seawater. Anhydrous magnesium chloride is the principal precursor to magnesium metal, which is produced on a large scale. Hydrated magnesium chloride is the form most readily available.

Basically liquid salt......

**DeadheadNM** · 11-30-2013, 12:50 PM

Thanks guys - it's painful as the trucks just arrived two weeks ago and I've got small tweaks I want to do. I also want to burn up the ethanol containing gas. You're right though I'll keep them off the roads for the winter.

HotRod C/10 · 11-30-2013, 01:04 PM

......and that my friend is why New Mexico ROCKS!

**DeadheadNM** · 11-30-2013, 01:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HotRod C/10

......and that my friend is why New Mexico ROCKS!

LOL! ABQ has had as much snow....

blue 72 gmc 4x4 · 11-30-2013, 01:18 PM

The city of Flagstaff quit putting salt down on the roads up here because it was killing all the trees alongside the roads. It beats the crap out of the roads too. ADOT still salts the roads though and I'm usually out washing my truck in a snowstorm to get all that crap off! Nasty stuff, they should just leave the snow and cinder the roads. People need to slow down in the winter anyways!

zeldman · 11-30-2013, 02:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by blue 72 gmc 4x4

The city of Flagstaff quit putting salt down on the roads up here because it was killing all the trees alongside the roads.

Ohhhh... so that is why we dont have trees here in Gallup....

gale · 11-30-2013, 03:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zeldman

Ohhhh... so that is why we dont have trees here in Gallup....

Or anything else...;-)

HotRod C/10 · 11-30-2013, 01:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DeadheadNM

LOL! ABQ has had as much snow....

Honestly Albuquerque has not had much at all...........and no magnesium Chloride that I am aware of...

terry b · 11-30-2013, 02:44 PM

Up here in michigan everything rusts. We have salt on the roads from december thru april. If we want to keep it we dont drive it in the winter.

zeldman · 11-30-2013, 09:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by terry b

Up here in michigan everything rusts. We have salt on the roads from december thru april. If we want to keep it we dont drive it in the winter.

Here they use rocks. Windshields last about 3 years before needing replacement. Not to mention the paint on the front of my vehicles.

zeldman · 11-30-2013, 04:15 PM

Dont make fun.... I am originally from Bryan and I used to drive a truck into Houston, all you have there is shopping malls, restaurants, museums, football, baseball, nice restaurants, universities, oil, good restaurants, the ship channel, close to beaches, great restaurants, friendly people, theaters,, wait... what was the question again..??

gale · 11-30-2013, 04:39 PM

We also have a little traffic trying to get to all that stuff.

I've lived, worked, and driven all over the western states and I appreciate the lack of urgency. I visited a cousin in southwestern Kansas and the 'town' is so small they drive 23 miles to buy milk. I needed to beg gas meant for a lawn mower to ride my motorcycle out of town.

**DeadheadNM** · 11-30-2013, 05:09 PM

LOL! I helped build the Pizza Hut in Gallup during a summer while in High School....

zeldman · 11-30-2013, 09:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DeadheadNM

LOL! I helped build the Pizza Hut in Gallup during a summer while in High School....

Cool.!! We have two of them now..

nobolt · 11-30-2013, 07:29 PM

Quote:

Up here in michigan everything rusts. We have salt on the roads from december thru april.

yep. we got a whole half inch (maybe) before dawn yesterday and St Clair County was completely salted by 9am.
the sun melted it off my driveway by noon!
I wonder how many hours of overtime that cost us on Thanksgiving?

Zane M · 11-30-2013, 09:08 PM

You can still drive the truck in the winter, just don't do it when the roads are snowy/wet.

11-29-2013, 08:41 PM	#1
DeadheadNM Carpe manana Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Eau Claire, WI Posts: 12,446	What's the scoop with magnesium chloride? Corrosive? I've heard the highway department here in NW MT uses magnesium chloride for roadway ice control. Anyone more knowledgeable than I know how damaging this stuff is to vehicles? I'd like to drive the 72's on occasion during the winter to circulate the fluids but won't if this stuff is really bad. Thanks, Pete __________________ 1972 K5 CST Highlander Blazer: http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=708547 1972 K20 Cheyenne Super: http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=528308 Members met: ORANGBLAZ, 2003 silverado, MikeCofield, BB72CHEVKT, Duncan&Son, Sameyrasmea72, THENEWMEXICAN, HotRod C/10, brianthelion02, Sport/Truck, ryanroo, michael bustamante, Dirt's72, Already Gone, WestButteTruck, 57taskforce, Moreyel, painterljp, AASmedic, SoCoC10, Lumaestas, carbuff382, Chevyland

11-29-2013, 09:20 PM	#2
DT1 Registered User Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Gardnerville Nv No Mo Cali!! Posts: 869	Re: What's the scoop with magnesium chloride? Corrosive? FYI... http://www.summitdaily.com/article/2...NEWS/101030050

11-29-2013, 11:48 PM	#3
DeadheadNM Carpe manana Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Eau Claire, WI Posts: 12,446	Re: What's the scoop with magnesium chloride? Corrosive? Thanks - sounds not so good then... __________________ 1972 K5 CST Highlander Blazer: http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=708547 1972 K20 Cheyenne Super: http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=528308 Members met: ORANGBLAZ, 2003 silverado, MikeCofield, BB72CHEVKT, Duncan&Son, Sameyrasmea72, THENEWMEXICAN, HotRod C/10, brianthelion02, Sport/Truck, ryanroo, michael bustamante, Dirt's72, Already Gone, WestButteTruck, 57taskforce, Moreyel, painterljp, AASmedic, SoCoC10, Lumaestas, carbuff382, Chevyland

11-30-2013, 08:07 AM	#4
special-K Special Order Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Mt Airy, MD Posts: 85,851	Re: What's the scoop with magnesium chloride? Corrosive? I don't know of anything used to melt ice on roads to not be highly corrosive. It really sucks to have a fully capable 4wd that sits idle all winter because simply driving it will destroy it. __________________ "BUILDING A BETTER WAY TO SERVE THE USA"......67/72......"The New Breed" GMC '67 C1500 Wideside Super Custom SWB: 327/M22/3.42 posi.........."The '67" (project) GMC '72 K2500 Wideside Sierra Custom Camper: 350/TH350/4.10 Power-Lok..."The '72" (rolling) Tim "Don't call me a redneck. I'm a rough cut country gentleman" R.I.P. ~ East Side Low Life ~ El Jay ~ 72BLUZ ~ Fasteddie69 ~ Ron586 ~ 67ChevyRedneck ~ Grumpy Old Man ~

11-30-2013, 12:20 PM	#5
John H. Registered User Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Sammamish, WA Posts: 2,115	Re: What's the scoop with magnesium chloride? Corrosive? Pete, I would keep them off the road until spring and a few good rains to wash the roads off just to be safe.

11-30-2013, 12:45 PM	#6
dan42 Registered User Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Cali Central Coast Posts: 5,191	Re: What's the scoop with magnesium chloride? Corrosive? They use that stuff for dust control on dirt roads as well. __________________ '67 SWB Fleetside ZZ4/350/Tremec 5-speed/4link/Scott's IFS - and fun as heck! SOLD Click here to support the board Philippians 4: 6-7

12-01-2013, 02:16 AM	#8
CGerow Registered User Join Date: Apr 2013 Location: Salmon Arm BC Posts: 60	Re: What's the scoop with magnesium chloride? Corrosive? Magnesium Chloride = Liquid Salt.....basically. We use it up here in Can A Duh, and it does work well for ice and snow control, but there is not a chance that I would drive my classic chevy on a road that I has been applied to.

12-01-2013, 03:04 AM	#9
Spartan Registered User Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: Backwoods, OR Posts: 888	Re: What's the scoop with magnesium chloride? Corrosive? They mix the mag with water but it's not just liquid salt. It's totally corrosive and is banned in places for environmental reasons. It kills rainbow trout and other aquatic life as runoff. I would prefer a chance to go fishing over deiced roads myself. It doesn't snow much at my place tho. I do have studs if I need them tho. IMHO the trout win out. I lived in lake Tahoe where salt are banned and rock works fine. __________________ '69 K20 350/4 speed/Rockwell/D44/HO52. "orange rhymes with door hinge"

12-01-2013, 05:49 PM	#10
CGerow Registered User Join Date: Apr 2013 Location: Salmon Arm BC Posts: 60	Re: What's the scoop with magnesium chloride? Corrosive? Magnesium chloride is the name for the chemical compounds with the formulas MgCl2 and its various hydrates MgCl2(H2O)x. These salts are typical ionic halides, being highly soluble in water. The hydrated magnesium chloride can be extracted from brine or sea water. In North America, magnesium chloride is produced primarily from Great Salt Lake brine. It is extracted in a similar process from the Dead Sea in Jordan valley . Magnesium chloride as the natural mineral bischofite is also extracted (via solution mining) out of ancient seabeds; for example, the Zechstein seabed in northwest Europe. Some magnesium chloride is made from solar evaporation of seawater. Anhydrous magnesium chloride is the principal precursor to magnesium metal, which is produced on a large scale. Hydrated magnesium chloride is the form most readily available. Basically liquid salt......

11-30-2013, 12:50 PM	#11
DeadheadNM Carpe manana Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Eau Claire, WI Posts: 12,446	Re: What's the scoop with magnesium chloride? Corrosive? Thanks guys - it's painful as the trucks just arrived two weeks ago and I've got small tweaks I want to do. I also want to burn up the ethanol containing gas. You're right though I'll keep them off the roads for the winter. __________________ 1972 K5 CST Highlander Blazer: http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=708547 1972 K20 Cheyenne Super: http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=528308 Members met: ORANGBLAZ, 2003 silverado, MikeCofield, BB72CHEVKT, Duncan&Son, Sameyrasmea72, THENEWMEXICAN, HotRod C/10, brianthelion02, Sport/Truck, ryanroo, michael bustamante, Dirt's72, Already Gone, WestButteTruck, 57taskforce, Moreyel, painterljp, AASmedic, SoCoC10, Lumaestas, carbuff382, Chevyland

11-30-2013, 01:04 PM	#12
HotRod C/10 Registered User Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Albuquerque NM Posts: 3,053	Re: What's the scoop with magnesium chloride? Corrosive? ......and that my friend is why New Mexico ROCKS! __________________ SOLD -77 CHEYENNE SWB, LS SWAPPED -1976 SILVERADO YUBA GOLD/NEUTRAL (2-TONE)

11-30-2013, 01:18 PM	#14
blue 72 gmc 4x4 Registered User Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Aladdin Wy Posts: 796	Re: What's the scoop with magnesium chloride? Corrosive? The city of Flagstaff quit putting salt down on the roads up here because it was killing all the trees alongside the roads. It beats the crap out of the roads too. ADOT still salts the roads though and I'm usually out washing my truck in a snowstorm to get all that crap off! Nasty stuff, they should just leave the snow and cinder the roads. People need to slow down in the winter anyways! __________________ 1955 GMC Hydramatic 1959 Chevy Spartan 100 1969 Chevy C/10 1969 Chevy C/30 Bruiser 1972 GMC (Wrecked) 1972 GMC pickup..old blue Restored Vent Windows https://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/...d.php?t=766598 1955 GMC hydramatic build http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=429417

11-30-2013, 02:44 PM	#18
terry b Registered User Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: jackson michigan Posts: 755	Re: What's the scoop with magnesium chloride? Corrosive? Up here in michigan everything rusts. We have salt on the roads from december thru april. If we want to keep it we dont drive it in the winter.

11-30-2013, 04:15 PM	#20
zeldman Registered User Join Date: Oct 2013 Location: Rt 66 Gallup, NM Posts: 527	Re: What's the scoop with magnesium chloride? Corrosive? Dont make fun.... I am originally from Bryan and I used to drive a truck into Houston, all you have there is shopping malls, restaurants, museums, football, baseball, nice restaurants, universities, oil, good restaurants, the ship channel, close to beaches, great restaurants, friendly people, theaters,, wait... what was the question again..?? __________________ 2005 GMC K2500HD D/A 1993 GMC K1500 2011 Subaru Legacy. 2013 Subaru Outback 1970 C-10 2WD, SWB stepside, 292, TH350, PS, more rust than anything. God is my pilot.

11-30-2013, 04:39 PM	#21
gale Registered User Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Houston Texas Posts: 310	Re: What's the scoop with magnesium chloride? Corrosive? We also have a little traffic trying to get to all that stuff. I've lived, worked, and driven all over the western states and I appreciate the lack of urgency. I visited a cousin in southwestern Kansas and the 'town' is so small they drive 23 miles to buy milk. I needed to beg gas meant for a lawn mower to ride my motorcycle out of town. __________________ Gale Gorman '54 3100 '67 C20 stepside



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11-30-2013, 05:09 PM	#22
DeadheadNM Carpe manana Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Eau Claire, WI Posts: 12,446	Re: What's the scoop with magnesium chloride? Corrosive? LOL! I helped build the Pizza Hut in Gallup during a summer while in High School.... __________________ 1972 K5 CST Highlander Blazer: http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=708547 1972 K20 Cheyenne Super: http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=528308 Members met: ORANGBLAZ, 2003 silverado, MikeCofield, BB72CHEVKT, Duncan&Son, Sameyrasmea72, THENEWMEXICAN, HotRod C/10, brianthelion02, Sport/Truck, ryanroo, michael bustamante, Dirt's72, Already Gone, WestButteTruck, 57taskforce, Moreyel, painterljp, AASmedic, SoCoC10, Lumaestas, carbuff382, Chevyland

11-30-2013, 09:08 PM	#25
Zane M Registered User Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: SLC, UT Posts: 706	Re: What's the scoop with magnesium chloride? Corrosive? You can still drive the truck in the winter, just don't do it when the roads are snowy/wet.

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