Properties of seawater with ice slurry use in focus

• Ice generating machines used on fishing vessels produce ice slurry from seawater.
• A literature search has been made to establish physical property data of seawater.
• Ice slurry properties are generated and presented with an enthalpy-phase diagram.
• An initial salt content of 2–3 % is optimal and high ice concentration can be used.
• Corrosion inhibitors cannot be used when ice slurry is poured over the catch.

Seawater is the most common fluid on earth and ice generating machines are increasingly used on fishing vessels to produce ice slurry from seawater with up to 60% ice to be poured over the catch. In this study, a literature search has been made to establish physical property data of seawater as function of salinity and temperature. Ice slurry properties of seawater have been generated and are presented by means of an enthalpy-phase diagram and related tables with ice concentration, enthalpy change and density. This material confirms that an initial salt content of 2–3 % is optimal and it can help determine the potential for long preservation of catch on board and during transport, improving seafood quality. As seawater is known to be corrosive, a brief discussion on corrosion factors and problems, the use of corrosion inhibitors and choice of materials is included in this paper.