Is anhydrous coolant a technological progress or a magnificent fraud?
December 14, 2022
In recent years, a product called "anhydrous coolant" has begun to appear in everyone's eyes and has become increasingly popular. After all, there are so many products in the automotive aftermarket that people are dazzled by various concepts and scams. We have to analyze it step by step.
Antifreeze coolant The primary task of antifreeze coolant is to dissipate heat, which is literally cooling. Therefore, the first requirement for antifreeze coolant is to have a high boiling point to prevent boiling. According to our national standards, the boiling point of our antifreeze coolant is generally above 105 degrees. The national standard is 108.5 ℃. The second task is to prevent freezing, that is to say, the freezing point should be low. Ordinary antifreeze can reach - 40 ℃, while high-quality antifreeze should reach about - 60 ℃, which is an important indicator for calibrating the quality of antifreeze. Of course, there are other properties, such as anti-corrosion and anti scaling, which is why it is not recommended to replace antifreeze with water, because water is easy to form scale, which will seriously affect the heat dissipation function of the vehicle. Water free coolant First of all, let's learn about the anhydrous coolant introduced in official terms. The anhydrous coolant has the characteristics of non corrosivity, good heat dissipation, high boiling point and life-long maintenance free. Yes, it sounds like there is already a feeling of disbelief. What's wrong with that? Let's take a scientific look. Good heat dissipation? First of all, it should be known that the heat dissipation capacity of objects is measured by the specific heat capacity. The greater the specific heat capacity, the greater the heat dissipation capacity. The main body of general antifreeze coolant is water, which has the largest specific heat capacity among common substances in nature, reaching 4.2KJ/(kg ° C). The main body of the anhydrous coolant is propylene glycol, and its specific heat capacity is 2.49KJ/(kg ° C). What does this mean? The same water and propylene glycol have the same heat after the same time. The smaller the specific heat capacity, the faster the temperature rises. For example, under the same 90 ° C condition, the water temperature may reach 100 ° C after a week of water tank circulation, while propylene glycol may have reached 110 ° C. So after looking at this, do you dare to say that you can dissipate heat well with anhydrous coolant? More importantly, when the temperature of the water tank is too high, the fan will keep turning.
High boiling point? Basically, the waterless coolant on the market is marked with a boiling point of 190 degrees, as if the slogan "never boil" is not blowing. However, you should know that the normal operating temperature of the engine is 80-110 degrees, and all the components are designed to allow you to use normally at this temperature. If you are a performance car or often drive fiercely, the temperature may be increased a little, but it can never be reduced to 190 degrees, The normal temperature of the engine oil is 70-100 ℃. If the boiling point of the anhydrous coolant is really 190 degrees, then your car is basically finished. It really doesn't start cooking, but you don't know that the engine has been overheating. If the temperature exceeds 110 degrees for a long time, the engine oil will decay violently, and the cylinder will deform or even pull. Hearing this, do you still think it is good to never open the pot?
Is boiling water a bad thing? Many people may say, but if the water tank is boiling, isn't it a bad thing? Isn't that the same thing to be repaired? However, you should know that the water tank cover is the weakest link in the whole water tank system, which is to ensure that the water tank can be opened in time to release the pressure when the pressure is too high. Therefore, to a certain extent, boiling the water tank is not a bad thing! You must remember that the water tank cover should not be strengthened. Don't think about using anhydrous coolant. I will strengthen the water tank cover so that it is not easy for it to open. However, if the temperature is too high and the pressure cannot be released, the buckle may pop open and explode. So you said that I also strengthened the buckle? Then it may be that the pipe is about to burst. If you want to strengthen the pipe, it may be that the water tank or the engine water circuit is about to burst. This is the punch. Then it is really possible to overhaul.
Selection of antifreeze coolant Although antifreeze coolant has a variety of characteristics, it does not mean that its boiling point is high and its freezing point is low. Therefore, you should choose the coolant according to the environment of your car. For example, if you live in the south and like fierce driving, you should choose a coolant with a relatively high boiling point.
