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EN 16811-1 Grade A vs B vs C — Egyptian Deicing Salt Explained

EN 16811-1 grade comparison for European deicing salt buyers. Grade A (motorway), B (high-speed), C (stockpile lump). Particle size, moisture, anti-caking, pre-wetting compatibility — Egyptian sea + rock variants.

EN 16811-1 is the European standard for road de-icing salt, harmonised across the EU and adopted by UK Highway authorities (alongside BS 3247) and by Nordic countries (as SS-EN 16811-1).

The standard distinguishes three particle-size grades + two purity types:

GradeParticle sizeUse case
A (with sub-grades 0/2, 0/4, 0/6.3 mm)FineMotorway pre-treatment + standard road
B (2/8 mm)MediumHigh-speed road, fast-melt onset
C (10-40 mm Lump)CoarseStockpile fill, secondary processing

Type 1 = with E535 sodium ferrocyanide anti-caking (≤80 ppm)
Type 2 = without anti-caking (typically natural-moisture sea salt at 3-4%)

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Which grade does your tender want?

Grade A 0/2 mm Fine — for fast-melt municipal roads, sidewalks, intersections. Highest application uniformity. Fastest onset (melts in <5 min at 0°C). Slightly more expensive due to fines fraction handling.

Grade A 0/4 mm or 0/6.3 mm — the workhorse motorway grade. Balanced melt speed vs duration. Most-shipped variant.

Grade B 2/8 mm — for higher-speed sections (>80 km/h). Coarser crystal stays put under wheel turbulence; slower onset but extended duration.

Grade C Lump (10-40 mm) — stockpile feed for secondary crushing/screening at depot, or direct application by larger spreaders for primary highway pre-treatment.

Type 2 natural-moisture — for buyers in southern EU + Mediterranean where covered depot storage is universal and the moisture isn't a problem. 20-30% cheaper FOB than kiln-dried Type 1.

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Egyptian sea salt vs Egyptian rock salt — both can meet EN 16811-1

We ship both:

Sea salt EN 16811-1 Grade A
kiln-dried (≤1.5% moisture). SKU PS_SEA_DEIC_A
Sea salt EN 16811-1 Type 2 Grade A Natural
3-4% moisture. SKU PS_SEA_DEIC_A_NAT
Rock salt EN 16811-1 Grade A
naturally low moisture. SKU PS_ROCK_DEIC_A
Rock salt EN 16811-1 Grade A Fine

And Grade B + Grade C variants for both source types.

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Quality at the Core — verified supply from Egypt Globe Group

The analysis above is published by the export desk of Egypt Globe Group, an Egyptian B2B commodity house incorporated in 2014 with an internal Quality Assurance division at its nucleus. Across salt, cement and clinker, fertilizers, chemicals, industrial minerals, agro and metals, every lot is laboratory-tested at the port of loading and released on a Certificate of Analysis before the Bill of Lading; independent inspection by TÜV Austria, SGS, Intertek or Bureau Veritas is available on every consignment, and a lot outside specification is rejected at the port rather than renegotiated.

CommitmentWhat it means for the buyer
Zero tolerance on specification deviationNo re-grading or renegotiation after the fact — an out-of-spec lot does not load
Per-lot laboratory verificationCertificate of Analysis or Mill Test Certificate issued before the Bill of Lading
Independent third-party inspectionISO/IEC 17020 / 17025 bodies at any of seven Egyptian ports; retained samples held 90 days
Laycan and grading disciplineDocumented Notice of Readiness and Statement of Facts; sieve, assay and moisture verified per lot
24-hour SLA

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FOB / CIF / CFR pricing from 7 Egyptian ports — turnaround within 24 hours.

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Frequently asked questions

How do I request a quote?
Use the RFQ form at /rfq, or email [email protected] directly. We respond within 24 hours.
Where are your products sourced from?
Domestic Egyptian production wherever capacity exists — covering salt (Siwa, Qattara, North Sinai, Red Sea), cement, fertilizers, agro, minerals — plus curated re-export partnerships for commodities that aren't Egyptian-origin.

Other questions? Email our export desk — we respond within 24 hours.