I-Corps: Liquid organic anti-icer

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The broader impact/commercial potential of this I-Corps project is the development of a technology that can convert yard trimmings disposed as municipal solid waste (MSW; 35 million tons produced annually in the US), into an environmentally benign anti-icer through anaerobic digestion. The proposed anti-icer is a potent alternative to traditional deicers, as it may be applied to road surfaces before a snow storm hits the targeted area, eliminating the need for deicer operations to be performed during the storm. One of the most commonly-used anti-icers is sodium chloride (NaCl, salt brine). While salt brine typically has been used as an anti-icer on roadways and in airports, the use of the salt brine corrodes vehicles, bridges, and asphalt and is known to damage the surrounding environment. It is also known that salt brine has a high transport rate in the surrounding environments and low hold-over time. Organic alternatives to the salt brine in the market are calcium-magnesium acetate (CMA) and potassium acetate. However, these products cost about a $700-$1,000 per ton. Commercial potential of the proposed anti-icer will be evaluated as a cost-effective and environmentally benign alternative to its competitors. This I-Corps project is based on the development of an anti-icer road surface treatment. It is produced from simultaneous use of anaerobic digestion and accelerated bioleaching processes to form a liquid organic anti-icer from digestion of grass or any high protein plant substrates (green waste) co-digested with molasses or any other potassium rich organic material. The two simultaneous processes take place inside an anaerobic digester filled with green waste and molasses and water at optimum proportions and equipped with a recirculation system. In the process of anaerobic digestion, insoluble organic compounds are hydrolyzed and broken into simpler soluble organic compounds by the naturally occurring anaerobic bacteria present in the grass. During this process, acetate is produced, and through a reaction with potassium present in molasses, it forms potassium acetate, which may be used as liquid organic anti-icer. Preliminary results have shown that the proposed anti-icer may be effective at temperatures as low as 15˚F.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.