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Use and occurrence Automotive and internal combustion engine use įluorescent green-dyed antifreeze is visible in the radiator header tank when car radiator cap is removed have been the basis of all antifreezes since they were commercialized in the 1920s. Alcohols such as methanol, ethanol, ethylene glycol, etc. Solutions of organic compounds, especially alcohols, in water are effective. Low molecular weight organic compounds tend to have melting points lower than water, which makes them suitable for use as antifreeze agents. Salts are frequently used for de-icing, but salt solutions are not used for cooling systems because they induce corrosion of metals. Salts lower the melting points of aqueous solutions. To address these problems, alternative coolants with improved properties were developed.įreezing and boiling points are colligative properties of a solution, which depend on the concentration of dissolved substances. It however has only a 100 ☌ liquid range, and it expands upon freezing. It is cheap, nontoxic, and has a high heat capacity. Water was the original coolant for internal combustion engines. Most if not all commercial antifreeze formulations intended for use in heat transfer applications include anti-corrosion and anti- cavitation agents (that protect the hydraulic circuit from progressive wear). Careful selection of an antifreeze can enable a wide temperature range in which the mixture remains in the liquid phase, which is critical to efficient heat transfer and the proper functioning of heat exchangers. Commercially, both the additive (pure concentrate) and the mixture (diluted solution) are called antifreeze, depending on the context. The purpose of antifreeze is to prevent a rigid enclosure from bursting due to expansion when water freezes.
Dex cool mixed with green coolant plus#
īecause water has good properties as a coolant, water plus antifreeze is used in internal combustion engines and other heat transfer applications, such as HVAC chillers and solar water heaters. However, all common antifreeze additives also have lower heat capacities than water, and do reduce water's ability to act as a coolant when added to it. Common antifreezes also increase the boiling point of the liquid, allowing higher coolant temperature. An antifreeze mixture is used to achieve freezing-point depression for cold environments.
Dex cool mixed with green coolant manual#
“On its website, the company now also warns owners to consult their vehicle ‘owner’s manual for the type of coolant right for your vehicle’ and never ‘mix one type of coolant with the other.Coolant additive which reduces the freezing point of waterĪn antifreeze is an additive which lowers the freezing point of a water-based liquid. I also find instances where GM warns not to mix Dexcool with other coolants: I have seen too many stories about head gasket problems that only manifested themselves after the coolants were mixed. In order to change back to DEX-COOL however, the cooling system must first be thoroughly drained and flushed.” ( ) “If the coolants become mixed with Dexcool?, however, one study showed a possible aluminum corrosion problem in certain situations.” ( )Īccording to GM, “Mixing a ?green? coolant with DEX-COOL reduces the batch?s change interval to 2 years or 30,000 miles, but will otherwise cause no damage to the engine. After all, Dexcool is made with “organic acid technology.” ( ) Also, “the OAT (organic acid technology) will cause precipitation of silicates in the green type and corrosion protection is greatly reduced.” ( ) So this probably won’t make your coolant “turn into acid,” but it will make your coolant more acidic than it was. Maybe “acid” wasn’t the best choice of words, but when you mix additive packages and rust inhibitors, you never know how they are going to react.
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