Can old antifreeze turn to ice in winter?
- December 21, 2023
- 0
First of all, the coolant in the engine should not boil. But freezing in severe frosts is also contraindicated for her. But how do the anti-icing properties change
First of all, the coolant in the engine should not boil. But freezing in severe frosts is also contraindicated for her. But how do the anti-icing properties change during longer periods of operation?
There can be no questions about fresh antifreeze in terms of their frost resistance. New is new: it has to work well. But let’s say we’re dealing with an old “slurry”. It’s no secret that most car owners don’t care about the recommended coolant replacement intervals. They just ride on the old one for years. Until, for example, it comes to an end at the end of the pump, radiator or a pipe. Then “at the same time” the antifreeze is updated… However, some motorists who have this attitude to vehicles probably have an alarming thought about the possible threat of freezing of the engine due to old antifreeze.
To understand how age changes the properties of coolant, you need to remember its composition. All fluids of this type consist of distilled water, additives and either ethylene glycol (antifreeze G11, G12, G12+ and G12++) or propylene glycol (antifreeze G13). The proportion of glycols in the solution is usually 54-55%. And it only freezes at −40ºC. As the concentration of ethylene glycol, for example, decreases, the freezing point rises. For example, at 44% it is already −28ºС, at 34% – −18ºС, at 24% – −11ºС, and so on.
In short, the less glycol, the more dangerous the frost is for the cooling system. A normal person would immediately suspect that ethylene glycol/propylene glycol leaves the cooling system over time and evaporates through bypass valves, which are usually located in the radiator filler plug or in the expansion tank.
Logic dictates that at some point the remaining water cannot handle the cold and freezes. In reality, things are quite the opposite. The boiling point of water is 100ºC. And ethylene glycol begins to boil only at almost 200ºС (propylene glycol – at 188ºС). This fact suggests that the first part of the antifreeze in the engine should consist mostly of water, and not glycol! And even then – in small quantities, even over a long period of time.
This means that old antifreeze becomes increasingly resistant to frost over time. For example, with 70% ethylene glycol mixed with water, this substance turns into ice only in completely arctic conditions – at −70ºС. With a further increase in the glycol concentration, the freezing point starts to rise again: at 85% it is again −40ºС, and at 95% it is only −20ºС. 100% ethylene glycol cures at −13ºC.
So old antifreeze can freeze in only two cases. The first is when the car owner continuously adds water to the cooling system instead of allowing the coolant to leak somewhere, and eventually the glycol concentration in the cooling system approaches 0%. The second option is to fill the system not with water, but with undiluted antifreeze concentrate. In this scenario, the proportion of ethylene glycol will reach 100% and allow freezing at very normal winter temperatures. Although this will not happen with propylene antifreeze G13. Because the concentrate is guaranteed to remain liquid down to almost −60ºC.
photo globallookpress.com
There can be no questions about fresh antifreeze in terms of their frost resistance. New is new: it has to work well. But let’s say we’re dealing with an old “slurry”. It’s no secret that most car owners don’t care about the recommended coolant replacement intervals. They just ride on the old one for years. Until, for example, it comes to an end at the end of the pump, radiator or a pipe. Then “at the same time” the antifreeze is updated… However, some motorists who have this attitude to vehicles probably have an alarming thought about the possible threat of freezing of the engine due to old antifreeze.
To understand how age changes the properties of coolant, you need to remember its composition. All fluids of this type consist of distilled water, additives and either ethylene glycol (antifreeze G11, G12, G12+ and G12++) or propylene glycol (antifreeze G13). The proportion of glycols in the solution is usually 54-55%. And it only freezes at −40ºC. As the concentration of ethylene glycol, for example, decreases, the freezing point rises. For example, at 44% it is already −28ºС, at 34% – −18ºС, at 24% – −11ºС, and so on.
In short, the less glycol, the more dangerous the frost is for the cooling system. A normal person would immediately suspect that ethylene glycol/propylene glycol leaves the cooling system over time and evaporates through bypass valves, which are usually located in the radiator filler plug or in the expansion tank.
Logic dictates that at some point the remaining water cannot handle the cold and freezes. In reality, things are quite the opposite. The boiling point of water is 100ºC. And ethylene glycol starts to boil only at almost 200ºС (propylene glycol – at 188ºС). This fact suggests that the first part of the antifreeze in the engine should consist mostly of water, and not glycol! And even then – in small quantities, even over a long period of time.
This means that old antifreeze becomes increasingly resistant to frost over time. For example, with 70% ethylene glycol mixed with water, this substance turns into ice only in completely arctic conditions – at −70ºС. With a further increase in the glycol concentration, the freezing point starts to rise again: at 85% it is again −40ºС, and at 95% it is only −20ºС. 100% ethylene glycol cures at −13ºC.
So old antifreeze can freeze in only two cases. The first is when the car owner continuously adds water to the cooling system instead of allowing the coolant to leak somewhere, and eventually the glycol concentration in the cooling system approaches 0%. The second option is to fill the system not with water, but with undiluted antifreeze concentrate. In this scenario, the proportion of ethylene glycol will reach 100% and allow freezing at very normal winter temperatures. Although this will not happen with propylene antifreeze G13. Because the concentrate is guaranteed to remain liquid down to almost −60ºC.
Source: Avto Vzglyad
Donald Salinas is an experienced automobile journalist and writer for Div Bracket. He brings his readers the latest news and developments from the world of automobiles, offering a unique and knowledgeable perspective on the latest trends and innovations in the automotive industry.
