To help provide superior protection against corrosion, Sloan Transportation Products has introduced MaxxDuty Hose Assemblies that feature a new plating material designed to better withstand damage caused by the new de-icing agents that are increasingly being used by many municipalities and private snow removal companies to treat highways.
“In the past, most government agencies and private companies used salt to de-ice roads throughout northern regions,” says Chris Terryn, product manager for Holland, Mich.-based Sloan Transportation. “The increased use of calcium and magnesium chloride is not only less expensive than salt, but has also led to an alarming increase in the corrosion of heavy-duty vehicle components. Previously, manufactured parts could better resist salt’s corrosive nature, but standard platings no longer offer the same level of protection from these new de-icing agents.”
Of particular susceptibility to corrosion are the steel crimped fittings attached to the brass part of the hose assembly. Sloan says it tested several different options to plate the steel crimped fittings before settling on the MaxxDuty plating. The material originally was designed for the military in naval applications to protect parts exposed to severe salt spray that often required frequent replacement due to corrosion.
Recent testing by an independent lab in a CASS (Copper Accelerated Salt Spray) cabinet showed that the MaxxDuty plating, when compared to a control sample, provided superior protection, according to Sloan. For more information, go to www.sloantrans.com.
