Entry™ from SynaTek is a deicing and anti-icing fluid based on potassium formate, a salt of BASF’s formic acid. The fluid provides pre- and post-treatment of exterior traffic surfaces.
Entry’s proprietary formulation is made in the USA and is derived from inhibited potassium formate, which quickly removes thin layers of ice, and prevents new snow and ice from accumulating. Entry works by breaking the hydrogen bridges that are formed when water freezes. Additionally, at 50% concentration, it lowers the freezing point of water to a low refreeze temperature of approximately -63°F. This makes the product suitable to prevent refreeze and black ice formation.
Unlike other deicing agents, potassium formate is readily biodegradable, and does not contain chlorides that can damage ecosystems. The low Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) minimizes oxygen depletion of surrounding soil and surface water. Entry is designed to reduce corrosion and tracking and to balance pH. It has a pH of 7.3 to 7.8 so any tracking that enters the building is at a neutral pH to avoid issues associated with floor damage caused by high pH chemistries.
“Entry is an eco-friendly solution that is safer for pets, plants, and metals, and provides rapid and reliable results,” said Nate Clemmer, CEO and Managing Partner of SynaTek. “The non- chloride-based product does not become sticky or slippery, and eliminates chloride residue and granular tracking. Additionally, our collaboration with BASF, and their formic acid production site in Geismar, Louisiana, allows us to offer a purely domestically sourced product.”
With its new plant in Geismar, Louisiana, BASF is the only company in the U.S. to produce formic acid, which reduces delivery time throughout the region. Formic acid is an effective solution for a wide range of applications, such as animal feed preservatives, formate salts for runway deicing, household and industrial cleaning, pharmaceutical and other chemical intermediates, and promotion of oil and gas extraction. Many beekeepers also use the organic acid to protect bees from the dangerous varroa mite.
SynaTek will showcase Entry at the BOMA International Conference & Expo, June 24 to 27, in Nashville, Tennessee.
