What Is Road Salt Chemical Composition

When cold weather arrives, stores stock up on big bags of road salt and you may see it sprinkled on sidewalks and roads to melt ice. But what is road salt and how does it work? Road salt is halite, which is the natural mined mineral form of table salt or sodium chloride (NaCl). While table salt has been purified, rock salt contains mineral impurities, so it is typically brownish or gray in color. Machines mine the salt, which is crushed and packaged for delivery. Additives may be mixed with the road salt to prevent caking and ease delivery using gritting machines. Examples of additives include  sodium hexacyanoferrate(II) and sugar. How Road Salt Works Road salt works by lowering the freezing point of water via a process termed freezing point depression. In a nutshell, the salt breaks into its component ions in a small amount of liquid water. The added particles make it more difficult for the water to freeze into ice, lowering the freezing point of the water. So, for road salt to work, there needs to be a tiny bit of liquid water. This is part of the reason why road salt is not effective in extremely cold weather  when water would freeze too easily. Usually, an extra source of water is not necessary because there is enough liquid water present, either coating the hygroscopic salt pieces or produced by friction from traffic. When cold weather is forecast, it is common to pre-treat roads with brine, which is a solution of salt and water. This helps prevent ice from forming and reduces the amount of road salt needed to de-ice the surface later. Once ice starts to form, road salt is applied in gravel or pea-sized chunks. Road salt may be mixed with dry or damp sand to aid the process, too. Other Chemicals Used as De-icers While rock salt is the most affordable and commonly used chemical to de-ice roads, sand also may be used. Other chemicals are also available. Most of these other chemicals are more commonly used for sidewalks or driveways. Each chemical, including road salt, has pros and cons. One of the biggest advantages of rock salt is that it is readily available and inexpensive. However, it does not work under extremely cold conditions and it does pose significant environmental risks. The primary concern is that the sodium and chlorine get into the ground and water and raise the salinity. Also, because rock salt is impure, other undesirable compounds present as contaminants are released into the ecosystem. Examples of contaminants include lead, cadmium, chromium, iron, aluminum, manganese, and phosphorus. There is no perfect de-icer, so the goal is to use the best chemical for the situation and to use the lowest effective quantity. Note that sodium chloride, potassium chloride, magnesium chloride, and calcium chloride are all chemically salts, so any of them could be correctly termed road salt. The chemicals listed as corrosive may damage concrete, vehicles, and other structures. Product Lowest EffectiveTemperature ( °F) Corrosive AquaticToxicity EnvironmentalFactors rock salt (NaCl) 20 yes medium tree damage potassium chloride (KCl) 12 yes high K fertilizer magnesium chloride (MgCl2) 5 yes high adds Mg to soil calcium chloride (CaCl2) -25 extremely medium adds Ca to soil calcium magnesium acetate (C8H12CaMgO8) 0 no indirect lowers aquatic O2 potassium acetate (CH3CO2K) -15 no indirect lowers aquatic O2 urea (CH4N2O) 15 no indirect N fertilizer sand -- no indirect sediments Deicer Chemicals Safer Alternatives to Road Salt All forms of salt pose some environmental dangers, so many communities have searched for alternatives to keep ice off roads. In Wisconsin, cheese brine is used as a de-icer. The brine is a by-product thats normally thrown away, so its free. Some towns have tried using molasses to reduce the corrosivity of salt. The molasses is mixed with saline solution, so freezing point depression is still active. The Canadian company EcoTraction makes granules from volcanic rock, which help melt ice because the dark color absorbs heat, plus it aids traction by embedding into ice and snow. The town of Ankeny, Iowa, experimented with excess garlic salt they had on hand. Another option, not yet in service, is to use solar power to help melt ice and snow so it wouldnt need to be plowed or chemically removed. Sources Elvers, B. et al. (ed.) (1991) Ullmanns Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry, 5th ed. Vol. A24. Wiley. ISBN 978-3-527-20124-2.Kostick, Dennis S. (October 2010) Salt in U.S. Geological Survey, 2008 Minerals Yearbook.

Sentencing of Juveniles - 2625 Words

The Sentencing of Juveniles Today, we live in a society faced with many problems, including crime and the fear that it creates. In the modern era, juveniles have become a part of society to be feared, not rehabilitated. The basis of the early juvenile justice system was to rehabilitate and create safe havens for wayward youth. This is not the current philosophy, although the U.S. is one of the few remaining countries to execute juveniles. Presently, our nation is under a presidential administration that strongly advocates the death penalty, including the execution of juveniles. The media and supporters of capital punishment warn of the superpredator, the juvenile with no fear, remorse, or conscience. Opponents of this view†¦show more content†¦Almost all juvenile offenders (ninety-eight percent) sentenced to death were males. The four cases involving female juveniles were in the deep south (Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia) and in Indiana. The thirteen very young offenders (age fifteen at crime) were scattered across ten different states. All sixty-nine juvenile offenders on death row were male and had been convicted and sentenced to death for murder. More than three-quarters of these cases involved seventeen-year-old offenders, and two-thirds of them were minority offenders. In contrast, eighty-three percent of the victims were adults. Two-thirds of the victims were white, and nearly half were females. The paradigm case of the juvenile offender on death row is that of the seventeen-year-old African-American or Latino male whose victim is a white adult. (Streib). Debate about the use of the death penalty for juveniles has grown more intense in light of calls for the harsher punishment of serious and violent juvenile offenders, The cry for the death penalty is most loudly heard when referring to it as a deterrent. According to Allen Kale, it is estimated that about 76% of the American public support the use of the death penalty as a deterrent, however that support drops to less than 9% when referring specifically to juveniles. (Kale). Opponents believe it fails as a deterrent and is inherently cruel and point to the risk of wrongful conviction. TheShow MoreRelatedJuvenile Sentencing974 Words   |  4 PagesJuvenile courts have a wide range of sentencing options (usually called disposition orders) that they can impose on juveniles or youth offenders who are found to be delinquent (that is, finding that the minor violated a criminal law). Typically, disposition options fall into two camps: incarceration and non-incarceration. One non-incarcera tion option in particular -- probation -- forms the backbone of the juvenile justice system. Read on to learn about the different kinds of sentencing optionsRead MoreJuvenile Sentencing : Juvenile Crime Essay793 Words   |  4 Pages Juvenile Sentencing Juvenile crime has skyrocketed to an all-time high, mainly in the big cities. The major problem is kids doing crimes and not being punish severely enough due to the lack of sentencing. Today’s generation knows how to beat the system because of the sentencing guidelines. Most of the kids in Florida knew that a simple misdemeanor charge they could be released the next day. During the years from 1997-2013 the amount of kids committed to juvenile facilities has dropped fromRead MoreJuvenile Sentencing And Juvenile Justice941 Words   |  4 Pagesevery single state has altered its juvenile program in reply to observed increases in serious, persistent, and pugnacious youth crime. These adjustments weaken the power of juvenile courts as legal decisions and statutory adjustments transfer more youths from juvenile courts to criminal courts so that youthful offenders can be sentenced as adults. Corrections to juvenile sentencing regulations perpetuate the punitiveness of sanctions made accessible to juvenile court judges. Supplementary strategiesRead More Sentencing of Juveniles Essay2553 Words   |  11 PagesThe Sentencing of Juveniles Today, we live in a society faced with many problems, including crime and the fear that it creates. In the modern era, juveniles have become a part of society to be feared, not rehabilitated. The basis of the early juvenile justice system was to rehabilitate and create safe havens for wayward youth. This is not the current philosophy, although the U.S. is one of the few remaining countries to execute juveniles. Presently, our nation is under a presidential administrationRead MoreProper Sentencing For Juvenile Murderers908 Words   |  4 PagesProper Sentencing for Juvenile Murderers Juveniles should not receive severe adult sentences for the murders they commit due to their underdeveloped prefrontal cortex not allowing them to fully process decisions and consequences at a young age. In fact, the prefrontal cortex is the part of the brain where decision making originates and does not fully develop until the age of 25. Furthermore, sentencing a juvenile as an adult while they are at an impulsive age and subject to peer pressure is resultingRead MoreAnnotated Bibliography On Juvenile Crime And Sentencing1510 Words   |  7 Pages Skip Hollandsworth candidly explores the subjects of juvenile crime and sentencing in the electronic long form newspaper article, â€Å"The Prisoner†. The purpose of the essay is to inform the reader about juvenile sentencing and to persuade the audience that there are clear problems with aspects of the U.S. prison system. The article is easily accessible to a large audience because it is online. Hollandsworth takes into account th at his audience, mostly consisting of Texas Monthly readers, may alreadyRead MoreThe Benefits of Juvenile Sentencing to Service Essay891 Words   |  4 PagesSentencing to Service (STS) is a sentencing option available to most Courts where a convicted offender works off† his/her fine by performing a specified number of hours of public service work under the supervision of a work crew leader employed by the state or a local corrections agency. Courts may also sentence offenders to STS rather than jail or workhouse time. STS was established in 1986 by the Minnesota Department of Corrections along with several County Sheriff’s Departments, communityRead MoreMaking Poor Decisions : The Sentencing Age For Juveniles1257 Words   |  6 Pagessome juveniles, those poor decisions consist of the commission of criminal offenses, which can automatically set them up for failure in their adult lives. P1 P2 Taking the initiative to change the sentencing age for juveniles will help America not only use funds in a more constructive way, but will also help youth learn from their mistakes without being permanent. In 2004, WSIPP found that those programs such as functional family therapy and aggression replacement training help juveniles controlRead MoreThe Recidivism Rate of Juvenile Sex Offenders between Uses of Legal Sentencing as Adults or Utilizing Psychological Treatment2308 Words   |  10 PagesThe Recidivism Rate of Juvenile Sex Offenders between Uses of Legal Sentencing as Adults or Utilizing Psychological Treatment It is typically thought that sex offenders are the type of individual that needs to be tried in our courts and then sentenced because there is really no hope for an individual that harms the most innocent of our society. But there just may be an exception to this way of thinking. Juveniles who at one point themselves may have been victims, and as they have grown into adolescenceRead MoreDeterminate Sentencing: Last Chance in Texas Essay1325 Words   |  6 PagesFor Determinate Sentencing Determinate sentencing is becoming more popular in juvenile courts. It is a special statute that allows for the possibility of a juvenile serving a sentence beyond the age of 21. It specifically covers certain violent offenses and drug cases, like murder, capital murder, sexual assault, and indecency with a child. Aggravated controlled substances cases are also covered (TYC website). The alternative to determinate sentencing is blended sentencing, which allows judges to

The Crucible Character Analysis Free Essays

In the play ‘The Crucible’ by Arthur Miller, the author uses characters from the 17th century witch-hunts to show the corruption behind McCarthyism. The play was published in 1953, a time when McCarthyism was actively affecting and contributing to society. The book is filled with false accusations during 1692, in order to relate to the time period it was released. We will write a custom essay sample on The Crucible Character Analysis or any similar topic only for you Order Now In the play, the character Abigail Williams is in love with John Proctor, a married man, who she had an affair with. Abigail tries to win John over by using witchcraft. When she is caught by her uncle, Reverend Parris she is afraid of being punished, so she blames their slave, Tituba. This accusation sparks a time of fear and accusation of witches in Salem. When the witch-hunt begins, Abigail realizes that she can use her lies to gain power in Salem. She thinks she can use this power to get rid of John Proctor’s wife, Elizabeth, and that when Elizabeth is gone John will love her. Abigail is driven by fear and envy, and her corrupt decisions lead to the downfall of Salem society. Abigail Williams is a seventeen-year-old orphan, who lives with her uncle, Rev. Parris. Abigail was fired from her job as a servant by Goody Proctor because she had an affair with John Proctor. She believes that her affair with John Proctor is true love and that the only thing standing between them is his wife. Abigail states in Act 1, â€Å"I have something better than hope, I think! † (Miller 22) because she believes that John has made a promise to her by breaking of chastity for her, that he loves her. Her envy of Elizabeth leads to her making very bad decisions. These decisions cause Abigail to be afraid of being convicted of witchcraft, so she accuses others, making them scapegoats for her wrong-doings. When Abigail and the other girls go dancing in the woods Abigail tries to drink a charm to kill John Proctor’s wife. When they are caught dancing she forces all the girls to lie about what happened. She puts the blame on Tituba. They continue to make accusations against people in Salem. â€Å"I saw Goody Sibber with the Devil! †Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ â€Å"I saw Alice Barrow with the Devil! †Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ â€Å"I saw Goody Hawkins with the Devil! †Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ (48) People are hanging because of the girls’ false claims. Abigail then tries to get Elizabeth hanged for witchcraft but Elizabeth is allowed to live because she is pregnant. By the end of the play, Abigail tries to flee with John but his refusal to leave with her finally makes her realize that he will never love her. After this, she only has fear left as a motivator. She flees with Mercy Lewis on a boat with all of Rev. Parris’ money. John is hanged because he refuses to give up his name. â€Å"The legend has it that Abigail turned up later as a prostitute. †(146) Although most of her actions caused pain for others, it did eventually lead to her own downfall. â€Å"Elizabeth Proctor married again, four years after Proctor’s death. †(126) It is ironic that the person Abigail set out to hurt the most was one of the few people who went on to live a better life. Since Abigail is motivated by envy and fear, her decision to fuel the witch-hunt creates tragedy by the end of the play. Everything she does causes John’s death as well as the hanging of countless others, the innocent people of Salem. This play really captures the effects of false accusations and theocracy when given power. The witch-hunts, like McCarthyism caused suffering for many without any proof or reason. Abigail proves an example of the consequences when power is given to things that cannot be proven, unsupported theories. How to cite The Crucible Character Analysis, Papers