Glossary
Snowmaking polymer terminology, explained.
A reference for the chemistry, physics, and regulatory terms used across DeepSnow's product line. Each entry links into the deeper article or product section.
Margin Multiplier (SMM)
SMM- DeepSnow's owned operator metric: euros of additional slope-day EBITDA returned per euro of SL6733 additive spend. Modelled at 30-50× on a mid-sized EU resort, combining longer operating windows (+3°C wet-bulb, 300-500 extra snowmaking hours), volume gains (~50% more snow per shift in Mode A), and opex savings (~50% less water and energy per cubic metre of snow in Mode B). Mountain-agnostic by construction — every resort calculates its own multiplier from local hydrology, gun fleet, and energy costs.
Wet-bulb temperature
- The lowest temperature water can reach by evaporative cooling at a given air temperature and humidity. It is the thermodynamic ceiling for conventional snowmaking — above it, water cannot freeze into snow before it falls. SL6733 is engineered to raise that ceiling by +3°C, unlocking hundreds of hours of marginal-condition snowmaking per season.
Ice recrystallization inhibition
IRI- The mechanism by which certain polymers and antifreeze proteins slow or halt the growth of large ice crystals at the expense of small ones (Ostwald ripening). In snowmaking and ice-rink applications, IRI yields finer, denser, more durable snow and ice surfaces.
Ostwald ripening
- A thermodynamic process where larger particles grow at the expense of smaller ones because the smaller particles have higher surface energy. In ice, this produces coarse, brittle crystal structures. SL6733's carboxylate groups disrupt this process at the ice surface.
sAFGP
sAFGP- Synthetic antifreeze glycoprotein polypeptide — a polymer class that mimics the ice-binding behavior of antifreeze proteins found in cold-adapted fish and insects. DeepSnow's DS-100 series uses an alanine/glutamate-alternating backbone produced via NCA polymerization.
Anionic polyacrylamide
- A copolymer of acrylamide with a charged monomer (in SL6733's case, sodium acrylate). The carboxylate (COO−) groups provide both electrostatic chain expansion in water — enabling super-spreading at ppm dilutions — and the structural disruption of ice recrystallization.
NCA polymerization
- Ring-opening polymerization of N-carboxyanhydride monomers. The standard route to synthetic polypeptides at controlled molecular weights and defined sequences — the method DeepSnow uses to produce DS-100 sAFGPs.
AF4-MALS
- Asymmetric flow field-flow fractionation coupled with multi-angle light scattering. The gold standard for characterizing the molecular weight of ultra-high-MW polymers (15–20 MDa) where standard GPC fails due to column exclusion and shear degradation.
Snomax
- A biological snowmaking nucleator made from inactivated Pseudomonas syringae bacteria. The historical incumbent in the snowmaking-additive market, restricted across France (2005 moratorium), Austria, and Bavaria. SL6733 is being engineered as a synthetic, EU-compliant alternative.
Ice nucleation
- The initial formation of a small, stable ice crystal in supercooled water. The rate-limiting step of snowmaking under marginal conditions. SL6733's cold-water-swelling starch component provides distributed nucleation sites throughout the water volume.
Marginal-temperature snowmaking
- Snowmaking operation near the upper limit of viable wet-bulb temperatures, typically −1°C to −3°C. The most economically valuable hours for a ski resort, where additives like SL6733 unlock production windows that would otherwise be impossible.
Biodegradable polymer
- A polymer that breaks down into smaller molecules through biological action (microbial enzymes, photodegradation). SL6733's polyacrylamide + starch system is designed to degrade in environmental conditions without persistent residues, supporting potable-water-source compatibility.
TSCA
TSCA- The Toxic Substances Control Act — the United States chemical regulatory framework. Polyacrylamide is TSCA-listed, and SL6733 targets the EU polymer exemption pathway, so no pre-market approval is required for the polymer chemistry itself.
EU polymer exemption
- A provision under REACH that exempts most polymers from registration, provided they meet specific molecular-weight and residual-monomer criteria. SL6733 is specifically designed to qualify, with <0.01% residual acrylamide at operational dose.
Splat assay
- A laboratory technique for measuring ice recrystallization inhibition. A droplet of polymer solution is rapidly cooled to form a thin film of micro-crystals, then annealed at a sub-freezing temperature. The change in mean grain size (MGS) over time quantifies IRI potency.