Glossary
Dust Control & Chloride Glossary
Plain-English definitions for the terms used across calcium chloride dust control, gravel road maintenance, winter deicing, and industrial fugitive dust compliance. Use the letter index below to jump.
A
- Anti-Icing
- Pre-treating a surface with brine before a storm so ice cannot bond to the pavement.
- Aggregate
- Crushed stone or gravel used to build and resurface unpaved roads, lots, and pads.
- Application Rate
- Volume of liquid chloride applied per unit of surface — typically gallons per square yard or per mile of road.
- Annual Cycle
- The recommended yearly maintenance loop for an unpaved road or yard: grade → crown → chloride application → mid-season touch-up → re-gravel as needed.
B
- Binder
- The fine material in a road's surface that holds the larger aggregate together. Chloride keeps the binder moist so it does not become airborne.
- Brine
- A water-based solution of calcium chloride, magnesium chloride, or sodium chloride used for dust control, anti-icing, and deicing.
- Bulk Supply
- Tanker, tote, or drum delivery of liquid calcium chloride to municipal yards, contractors, and industrial customers.
- Bid Cycle
- The municipal procurement window when townships and counties solicit bids for the upcoming dust-control season — typically late winter through early spring.
C
- Calcium Chloride (CaCl₂)
- A hygroscopic salt that pulls moisture from the air. Used as both a season-long dust suppressant and a low-temperature liquid deicer.
- Calibration
- Setting and verifying the spray bar, pump, and ground speed so the application rate matches the spec across an entire surface.
- Chloride
- Common shorthand for liquid calcium chloride or magnesium chloride dust-control and deicing products.
- Concentration
- The percent of dissolved salt in a brine. Commercial calcium chloride dust control typically uses 32–38% liquid.
- Crowning
- Shaping a gravel road so the centerline is higher than the edges, allowing water to drain off rather than pool and erode the surface.
D
- Deicing
- Applying a chemical (often liquid calcium chloride) to ice or snow that is already bonded to a surface in order to break the bond.
- Deliquescence
- The point at which a salt absorbs enough atmospheric moisture to dissolve into a liquid. Calcium chloride deliquesces at lower humidity than magnesium or sodium chloride.
- Dust Control
- Any program that suppresses fugitive dust from gravel, dirt, or aggregate surfaces — typically calcium chloride application.
E
- EGLE
- Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy. Regulates fugitive dust under the state's air-quality rules.
- EPA
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Sets federal air-quality standards including PM10 and PM2.5 thresholds tied to fugitive dust.
- Eutectic Point
- The lowest temperature at which a brine remains liquid. Calcium chloride brine's eutectic point is far below sodium chloride's, which is why it works in deeper cold.
- EGLE Permit
- A Michigan air-quality permit that may require a written fugitive dust plan for sites generating significant particulate.
F
- Fugitive Dust
- Airborne particulate matter generated by traffic, wind, or material handling on unpaved or unswept surfaces. Regulated by EGLE, EPA, and many local ordinances.
H
- Haul Road
- A private road used to move material between extraction, processing, and load-out areas at quarries, mines, and construction sites.
- HOA
- Homeowners Association. HOAs are common dust-control and winter-deicing customers when they own private roads.
- Hygroscopic
- A material that absorbs moisture from the surrounding air. Calcium chloride is strongly hygroscopic, which is why it suppresses dust for an entire season.
L
- Liquid Application
- Spraying calcium chloride brine onto a surface from a tanker with a calibrated spray bar — the standard method for dust control and anti-icing.
M
- Magnesium Chloride (MgCl₂)
- A hygroscopic salt similar to calcium chloride. Performs well in consistently humid climates but underperforms in dry summer stretches.
- MIOSHA
- Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Enforces worker exposure limits including respirable silica from gravel-road and yard dust.
- MSHA
- Mine Safety and Health Administration. Regulates dust and ice control practices at quarries, aggregate operations, and surface mines.
P
- PM10
- Particulate matter 10 microns or smaller. Most fugitive dust falls into this category, and PM10 is regulated by federal and state air-quality rules.
- PM2.5
- Particulate matter 2.5 microns or smaller. Penetrates deep into the lungs and is the most strictly regulated airborne particle class.
- Pre-Wetting
- Spraying liquid calcium chloride on rock salt before or during application so the salt activates faster at lower temperatures.
R
- Recurring Program
- A locked-in seasonal contract with scheduled chloride applications and priority response.
- Respirable Silica
- Airborne crystalline silica small enough to be inhaled. OSHA's permissible exposure limit (PEL) is 50 µg/m³ over an 8-hour shift.
- RFP
- Request for Proposal. Municipal dust control work is typically procured by RFP or competitive bid.
- Respirable Dust
- Dust particles small enough to penetrate beyond the upper airway. Most respirable dust on unpaved surfaces is PM10 or smaller.
S
- Sodium Chloride (NaCl)
- Rock salt. Effective for ice control above roughly 15°F; loses effectiveness rapidly in deeper cold.
- Spray Bar
- The horizontal manifold of nozzles at the rear of a chloride tanker that delivers calibrated, even coverage across the road width.
T
- Tanker
- Vacuum or pressure tanker used to haul and apply liquid calcium chloride. Common sizes range from 2,000 to 6,000 gallons.
W
- Washboarding
- The corrugated ripple pattern that develops on untreated gravel roads from repeated tire impacts. Chloride dramatically reduces washboard formation.
- Water Trucking
- Spraying water on a surface to knock down dust. Effective for hours, not days — the moisture evaporates and the dust returns.
- Winter Maintenance
- Operations that keep roads, lots, and walks safe and open through ice and snow events — including pre-wetting, anti-icing, and deicing.
Y
- Yard Program
- A recurring dust-control contract for trucking yards, distribution centers, and industrial sites that combines spring base treatment with mid-season touch-ups.
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