Anti-freeze
Anti-freeze (also called coolant, engine coolant, or antifreeze/coolant) is a fluid that is used to cool or maintain a vehicle or stationary engines and machines operating temperature. This is important as vehicle engines, like car and truck engines, are designed to operate at a specific temperature. In colder temperatures water in an engine begins to freeze and expand, cracking or damaging the engine and other components. Anti-freeze is designed to raise the freezing point of water to significantly below 0° Celsius, which in turn keeps the internal engine and parts cool.
Anti-freeze comes in many different forms and types. One of the most common forms of anti-freeze is a mixture of water and ethylene glycol. Ethylene glycol has the ability to raise freezing point to significantly below -35° Celsius. Ethylene glycol anti-freeze often comes in a variety of colors which may be yellow, orange, green or pink.
Adding additional properties to traditional anti-freeze is beneficial to the engine and components. For example, the addition of corrosion inhibitors will increase the life of the engine and cooling system components. Corrosion inhibitors are often added to protect against rusting of the internal engine components and cooling systems pipes. The action of these corrosion inhibitors is to create an inert film on the corrosion prone areas. This is especially important in seawater applications where saltwater intrusion can cause costly damage.
Anti-freeze also contains additives that clean and protect the cooling systems. The additives help to prevent the build up of deposits and lubricate the moving parts of the cooling system. They are designed to seek out areas of localized corrosion, neutralize the corrosive acids, and then protect that area from further corrosion damage. Anti-freeze also contains many components to prevent scale build up.
When using anti-freeze, consult with your local or national service station or a professional mechanic for advice on which type is best for your vehicle. Not all anti-freeze is the same and the wrong type can cause damage and engine failure.
Anti-freeze is an important component of any vehicle or engine, and taking the correct steps to maintain a reliable and healthy anti-freeze system can extend the life of your engine and keep it running at its optimal capacity.
