WARREN — As temperatures have dropped, calcium chloride has been added to the mix that crews use to treat area roadways.

Calcium chloride is similar to sodium chloride, or table salt, and is highly soluble in water. It is also similar to the rock salt used on the roads to melt the snow and ice. Unlike road salt, calcium chloride can withstand lower temperatures. Road salt is only effective to about 15 to 20 degrees, and when temperatures dip lower, it loses the ability to melt the ice and snow.

Calcium chloride, however, lowers the freezing point of water, making it more effective at keeping the roads safe.

“There are a variety of ways to use calcium chloride; we tend to mix it right in with the road salt,” explained Matt Bruning, press secretary for the Ohio Department of Transportation. “We don’t use it often because it’s expensive, but we will when we have to.”

While it is less corrosive to concrete and is not as harmful to the environment, the downside to using calcium chloride is that it is more corrosive to vehicles than is road salt.

“It will cause rust,” said Kevin Leeworthy, owner of Leeworthy’s Auto Body in Levittsburg. “I’d say to wash your cars often to prevent that.”

Bruning said using soap and water in cleaning vehicles will aid in the prevention of corrosion and rust.

“After every shift we wash the trucks. Calcium chloride can be corrosive if not taken care of. We wash the trucks often and so should everyone else,” said Bruning. “We’ve tried all kinds of anti-rusting agents and have found that soap and water does the trick.”

bshiller@tribtoday.com