No, salt water does not make better ice in the sense of being purer, harder, or more visually appealing. In fact, salt water makes ice that is often softer, melts faster, and has a lower freezing point.
Here's why:
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Lower Freezing Point: Salt disrupts the formation of ice crystals. Pure water freezes at 32°F (0°C), but adding salt lowers this freezing point. This means salt water needs to be colder to freeze. The presence of salt interferes with the hydrogen bonds that form the ice crystal lattice.
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Softer Ice: The interference with ice crystal formation results in ice that is less dense and structurally weaker than ice made from pure water. This leads to softer ice.
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Faster Melting: Because the freezing point is lowered, salt water ice will melt more quickly at a given temperature compared to pure water ice.
In summary, while salt is sometimes used to melt ice, it's not used to create better ice for consumption, cooling, or other common uses. Saltwater ice can be useful for creating colder environments than regular ice, but it isn't "better" in most applications.
