Coolants

Agenda
1. Function of Coolants
2. Coolant Ingredients and
Components
– Water
– MEG
– Corrosion Inhibitors
– Other Functional Ingredients
3. Coolant Performance
4. Compatibility
5. Cooling Testing and Analysis
6. Issues for Coolants
7. ’s Global Coolant Portfolio
 How?
• Freeze Point Depression
At near freezing water contains oligomers of water
molecules that form the open ice structure at 0 deg C.
Glycol interferes with the formation of the oligomers
producing smaller molecular species that freeze at a
lower temperature
• Boil Point Elevation
Glycol is a non-volatile liquid that reduces the vapour
pressure of the bulk liquid (glycol/water) relative to water.
Therefore more energy is required to raise the vapour
pressure of the liquid to atmospheric pressure (boiling
point)
 Why not use Glycol on its
own in hot climates?
• Ethylene glycol oxidises to various organic acids
(glycolic, oxalic, formic and carbonic)
• Rate of reaction doubles every rise in temperature of 10
deg C
• Becomes rapidly corrosive
• Water quenches this reaction up to a concentration of
about 60% glycol
• Cost
 Corrosion Inhibitors
Conventional (Tradional) Technology

• Inhibitor package consists of mainly of inorganic ions

– Phosphate, borate, nitrate, nitrite, silicate
– Characterised by high pH (10-11)
– High Reserve alkalinity
– Longevity: about 3 years – 100,000km
– Inhibitors deplete and need “topping up”

• Issues with Conventional Technology coolants:-

– Inhibitor Depletion; Physical protective layer
– Stability in hard water
• Phosphate; hard water salts –depletion
• Silicate; hard water salts and poor temp stability
• MBT; temp and light sensitive – salts of disulphides
– EHS; formation of nitrosamines
– Incompatibility with other coolants
 Corrosion Inhibitors
Hybrid Technology

• Mix of Conventional and Organic Acid

Technology (compatible with both)
• Long life coolant characterised by near
neutral pH and intermediate reserve
alkalinity
• Commonly contains nitrite, silicate and
molybdate
• Upto 500,000km and 5 years
 Coolant Ingredients
4. Other Functional Ingredients
SCALE INHIBITOR

• Prevents the formation of hard water mineral

scale on metal surfaces within cooling system

• Compatible within formulation

• Longevity
 Coolant Ingredients
4. Other Functional Ingredients
DYE

• Used to differentiate between other

functional fluids

• Can be used to differentiate between

coolant types

• Stable

• Must not adversely effect the

automotive finish
 Coolant Ingredients
4. Other Functional Ingredients
BITTERANT

• Denatonium Benzoate – “most bitter

substance known to humankind”

• Prevents the accidental ingestion (by

humans and animals)

• Mandatory requirement in many

countries (eg 10ppm to 36ppm)

• Reduces the likelihood of toxicity issues

resultant from the MEG toxicity
 Compatibility
• In general only Hybrid technologies are forwards
(organic acid) and backwards (conventional) compatible.
Organic and conventional technologies can suffer
incompatibility issues.

• Good practice to check incompatibilities for information

however when changing a coolant the cooling system
should be drained, flushed and then filled with the new
coolant.
 Coolant Testing and Analysis
• Once a formulation has been validated using
performance tests, 7 lab tests can be used as
QA/QC “release” tests for coolants
– pH
– Reserve Alkalinity
– Chloride
– Water Content
– Foaming Characteristics
– Glycol content/Freeze point
– Specific Gravity
 Coolant Issues
Scale
• Poor quality water is the common cause of scale formation.

• Water quality parameters that can influence the build up of scale

are pH, calcium and magnesium, total hardness and temperature.

• Scale is detrimental as it acts as an insulator and forms a barrier

to heat transfer.

• 2mm of scale can reduce heat transfer by 40%

• Hot spots develop causing severe engine damage.

 Coolant Issues
Aeration

• Air leaks into the cooling system will promote foam

generation in the coolant
• This in turn promotes pitting which is most noticeable
around water pump impellers
• Inhibitor packages contain anti-foaming additives