We can give the coolant any colour by adding a dye to it. Both, humans and animals become very ill after ingestion. This also ensures that children do not drink the coolant. This means that, in the event of an unexpected coolant leak, dogs leave the liquid alone. To prevent poisoning through ingestion of the coolant, a bittering agent is always added. The additives are added to prevent the formation of corrosion, cavitation (formation and destruction of small air bubbles that can cause damage to the water pump), deposits and sludge (insoluble material sediment), amongst other things. To give the coolant the desired properties, chemical additives are needed. Additionally, too low of a concentration of antifreeze in turn loses its corrosion prevention properties. Higher concentrations of antifreeze do not give a greater or ‘better’ temperature range. As a rule, a 50/50 mix provides protection to no lower than -36☌, a 40/60 mix ratio (40% concentrate and 60% demineralised water) gives protection to no lower than -26☌. The amount of demineralised water used to dilute the antifreeze determines the temperature range of the mixture. Only after the antifreeze has been diluted we have a coolant ready for use, also called ‘Ready-Mix’ or ‘coolant’. Limescale build up prevents heat transfer and salts can corrode the metals in the system. Antifreeze must be diluted with demineralised or softened water before it can actually be used in a cooling system.įrom demineralised water, minerals such as calcium and salts removed. We refer to MEG + additives as ‘antifreeze’ or ‘concentrate’. CompositionĪn actual coolant consists of several parts, because – in addition to mono-ethylene glycol (MEG) – additives are required to give the fluid the desired properties (more on this later). Glycerol is a by-product of biofuel production or can derive from plant material. While glycerol is more environmentally friendly compared to MEG, it is not as readily available for this application because it is also a raw material for cosmetics. The third option is glycerol-based coolants, also known as the G13 specification. MPG is less toxic, therefore these fluids are more often seen in the food industry. Monopropylene glycol (MPG) is sometimes used as a base too, but its heat transfer capacity for combustion engines is usually insufficient. To get around these negative effects of water, we use glycols as the base for a coolant usually mono-ethylene glycol (MEG). The minerals and salts present in (drinking) water also have a negative effect on the materials in the cooling system. Water is eminently suitable for absorbing and removing heat, but the disadvantage of water is that it freezes at 0 degrees and boils at 100 degrees. The primary function of the fluid, as mentioned earlier, is to distribute the excess heat to the radiator where it is exchanged with the outside air.
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