Why are chloride de-icers banned airside at most airports?
Because chloride is severely corrosive to aluminium and attacks the cadmium-plated fasteners and carbon brake assemblies used on aircraft. The resulting airframe and brake damage was significant enough that acetate and formate de-icers replaced chloride on runways and taxiways, despite costing considerably more per tonne.
2
To what temperature does potassium acetate de-icer work?
To around minus 26 degrees Celsius, which covers most operational conditions at northern European and North American airports. It is applied as a liquid, leaves no gritty residue that could be ingested by engines, and its runoff is less damaging to concrete and to adjacent vegetation than chloride brine.
3
Why is potassium acetate used in kitchen fire suppression?
Because it works by saponification. Sprayed onto burning cooking oil it reacts with the hot fat to form a soapy foam layer that seals the surface, excluding oxygen and preventing reignition as the oil cools. Water alone would flash to steam and spread the fire; a wet chemical agent forms the blanket that actually stops it.
4
How should potassium acetate be stored?
Sealed and dry if supplied as a solid, since it is strongly deliquescent and will absorb atmospheric moisture and liquefy. The liquid concentrate form avoids that issue and is the usual supply route for de-icing, where the material is used in bulk and handling a hygroscopic solid would be impractical.
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