A Missouri S&T research team has been awarded $450,000 from the Missouri Department of Transportation for a two-year study evaluating new materials for treating roadways during winter weather that could reduce or replace traditional salt-based treatments. 
 
“We know from basic chemistry that chloride salts are effective because they lower the freezing point of water and cause ice to melt enough for plows to more easily do their job,” says Dr. Kamal Khayat, S&T’s vice chancellor for research and innovation and the Vernon and Maralee Jones Professor of Civil Engineering. “But the same chloride ions that help melt ice can also penetrate concrete and corrode the reinforcing steel in pavement and bridge decks — and affect roadside vegetation and surrounding ecosystems.” 
 
To address this issue, the Missouri S&T research team will conduct lab testing and field trials with alternative deicing materials using an approach that is mindful of the state’s weather, available materials, and MoDOT’s winter maintenance practices.  
 
They will evaluate different concentrations and combinations of corn steep liquor, glycerin and beet juice, among other bio-based products, and compare their performance, corrosivity and environmental impact to what the state currently uses. 
 
“We see a lot of potential with these alternative materials, and this study will give Missouri the information it needs to choose safer, more sustainable ways to keep roads clear in winter,” Khayat says. “Keeping people safe on Missouri’s 34,000 miles of roadway is essential, and we also need to maintain the long-term health of the state’s infrastructure and the environment along those roads.” 
 
Joining Khayat as co-principal investigators on the project are S&T faculty members Dr. Joel Burken, a Curators’ Distinguished Professor and Mathes Endowed Chair of Environmental Engineering, and Dr. Seongho Han, an assistant research professor of civil, architectural and environmental engineering. 
 
To learn more about Missouri S&T’s civil, architectural and environmental engineering programs, visit care.mst.edu. 

About Missouri S&T

Missouri University of Science and Technology (Missouri S&T) is a STEM-focused research university of over 7,000 students located in Rolla, Missouri. Part of the four-campus University of Missouri System, Missouri S&T offers over 100 degrees in 40 areas of study and is among the nation’s top public universities for salary impact, according to the Wall Street Journal. For more information about Missouri S&T, visit www.mst.edu.