How is antifreeze made

As technology progressed, antifreezes became silicate-free and used organic acid technology. These extended-life antifreezes tended to be orange. The difference between antifreeze and coolant is that an engine needs to be cooled to the right temperature days a year no matter the weather, meaning that an engine needs a coolant at all times.

Around fifty years later, ethylene glycol was found to be an excellent coolant, and was also used as a replacement for glycerol in explosions during the First World War.

After the war, it was manufactured on a large scale for engine coolants and was revolutionary in the expansion of both the automotive and aviation industries. Antifreeze as we know it now has a wide number of uses. Antifreeze material safety data sheets list the compounds considered significant safety hazards when used according to recommendations, including sodium silicate, sodium borate, and denatonium benzoate.

You can find the material safety data sheets for antifreezes below. These MSDSs list the potential hazards including health, fire, reactivity and environmental hazards of antifreeze and how to use or work with it safely. The blog on chemicals. In other words, antifreeze makes it possible for the coolant to not freeze at freezing temperatures, and not dissipate into steam at hot temperatures.

Have you noticed that coolant comes in many different colors? Coolant always starts off colorless, but then the manufacturer adds dye to it. Each color represents a certain type of coolant.

Some of the most common coolant colors include:. This post does a good job explaining why. If you have any questions about any of the ingredients in coolant, you know where to find us. We would love to hear your feedback! Get smart. Sign up for our email newsletter. Sign Up. Support science journalism. Knowledge awaits. See Subscription Options Already a subscriber? Here are just a few of the brands that we stock. Our specialist team is on hand to answer any of your queries and offer valuable advice so that you can understand more about the ways that your car works and get savvy under the bonnet.

January, How Is Antifreeze Made? History of Antifreeze Manufacture The earliest vehicles only used water in cooling systems. Antifreeze Manufacture Like all chemical compounds, antifreeze is manufactured in factories.

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