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Oxidized Starch Solutions for Environmentally Friendly Aircraft Deicers
Author(s) -
Plahuta Joseph M.,
Teel Amy L.,
Ahmad Mushtaque,
Beutel Mark W.,
Rentz Jeremy A.,
Watts Richard J.
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
water environment research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.356
H-Index - 73
eISSN - 1554-7531
pISSN - 1061-4303
DOI - 10.2175/106143011x12928814445050
Subject(s) - hydrogen peroxide , biochemical oxygen demand , ethylene glycol , starch , chemistry , polyvinyl alcohol , environmental chemistry , nuclear chemistry , chemical oxygen demand , wastewater , waste management , environmental engineering , organic chemistry , environmental science , engineering
Deicers currently used for aircraft deicing, including ethylene glycol and propylene glycol, pose significant threats to surface waters, as a result of high biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and toxicity to aquatic organisms. Oxidized starch may provide a less toxic deicer with lower BOD. The freezing point depression of starch formulations oxidized using hydrogen peroxide and catalysts (i.e., catalyzed hydrogen peroxide [H 2 O 2 ] propagations—CHP) was 28°C, and viscosities similar to those of commercial deicers were achieved after post‐treatment with granular activated carbon. The most effective oxidized starch formulation exerted a 5‐day BOD up to 6 times lower than glycol deicers (103 versus 400 to 800 g O 2 /L). Toxicity to Ceriodaphnia dubia for this formulation (48‐hour lethal concentration, 50% [LC 50 ] of 2.73 g/L) was greater than pure propylene glycol (13.1 g/L), but lower than propylene glycol deicer formulations (1.02 g/L). Organic acids were identified by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry as the primary constituents in the oxidized starch solution. The proposed deicing system would provide effective deicing while exerting minimal environmental effects (e.g., lower toxicity to aquatic organisms and lower BOD). Furthermore, these deicers could be made from waste starch, promoting sustainability.