Sodium Chloride Antifreeze?
Most recent answer: 10/22/2007
Q:
Why wouldn't sodium chloride be used in commercial antifreeze instead of ethylene glycol?
- Aryn
Colorado Springs,CO
- Aryn
Colorado Springs,CO
A:
I assume your idea is to add sodium chloride to water and use that as
an antifreeze because the freezing temperature of the solution is lower
than that of pure water.
One big problem in automotive cooling systems is caking up of deposits inside the radiator and other piping. You may live in an area where teakettles and water heaters cake up with salts which get left behind when the water boils away -- the same thing can happen in a radiator. Adding salt intentionally seems to be just asking for this to happen. Also, salt accelerates the formation of rust.
Tom
p.s. I also think that the lowest freezing point attainable with salt may not be low enough. The problem is that there’s a maximum concentration before the salt starts to precipitate out. And again, the corrosion problem is significant. Mike W.
One big problem in automotive cooling systems is caking up of deposits inside the radiator and other piping. You may live in an area where teakettles and water heaters cake up with salts which get left behind when the water boils away -- the same thing can happen in a radiator. Adding salt intentionally seems to be just asking for this to happen. Also, salt accelerates the formation of rust.
Tom
p.s. I also think that the lowest freezing point attainable with salt may not be low enough. The problem is that there’s a maximum concentration before the salt starts to precipitate out. And again, the corrosion problem is significant. Mike W.
(published on 10/22/2007)