EnviroTech Services, Inc. is proud to be a leader in providing environmentally-conscious road surface solutions. It is important to go beyond providing sustainable products, and to provide important information about why and how certain products and practices are deemed more sustainable than others. EnviroTech Services, Inc. experts answered a few questions regarding what leaching is, its adverse effects, and how it can be prevented in order to help the community.
What is Leaching?
Leaching is the loss of liquid treatment from a stockpile because the liquid product does not adhere to the product. In the process of leaching a solute, or dissolved substance, it is extracted by the solvent, or the dissolver, and carried away. Leaching occurs when salt is treated with a product that lacks viscosity thus preventing the product from adhering to the salt. This has been nicknamed the 'snow cone effect'. The rate of leaching can be increased by factors such as increased rainfall, high temperatures, humidity, and more.
Why is Leaching Bad?
In areas where there is excessive leaching, the surrounding environment can be adversely affected. When a product leaches, it runs off into side streams, creeks, rivers, and other areas sensitive to chlorides. Additionally, leaching is expensive because the user loses money on the investment made in treated salt due to the product loss that occurs during leaching.
Example of Leaching
How Do You Prevent Leaching?
EnviroTech Services, Inc.'s product, SOS®, also known as ‘Save on Salt’, is a magnesium chloride-based product with a polymer additive that makes it more viscous than alternative products. This product is designed to reduce leaching in stockpiles, especially in higher humidity conditions, allowing the user to treat stockpiles in any season. User’s don’t have to worry about product loss or messy clean-up because the high-performing formula of SOS allows the product to adhere and encapsulate the salt stockpile.
Alternative products can cause significant leaching after only applying four gallons per ton of product, whereas SOS can be leach-free for up to ten gallons!
Additionally, alternative organic salt treatment products tend to separate and ‘fall out’ over time in storage tanks, due to its sugar and solid material composition. The organic composition also results in a foul odor, dark brown color, and tends to be very sticky. SOS is chemically pure, won’t smell or separate in storage tanks, and is clear in color, allowing the user to choose the dye color that works best for them!
Using the technology of “prewetting” your stockpile with SOS®, you can apply the product where it is most effective and keep it there, drastically reducing bounce and scatter! Protect your investment and treat your stockpile with SOS®.
Learn more by visiting our website or speaking with a representative. at 800-369-3878.
