From: Edward Greeley (etgreeley@earthlink.net)
Date: Fri Jun 16 2006 - 22:04:11 PDT
Excuse me for butting in, but...
"Back in the day", anti-freeze certainly WAS flammable. Prior to WW-II
Among the drawbacks to the use of alcohol as anti-freeze was the fact
Just an olde phart who remembers...
Everette wrote:
and for a few years after, ethylene glycol was relatively expensive and
relatively scarce. Methyl alcohol (or was it denatured ethyl alcohol?)
was very commonly packaged and sold as automotive anti-freeze. In either
case, the uncut alcohol certainly would burn. Many unenlightened
old-timers don't understand the difference between glycol and alcohol,
hence the confusion about the flammability of "anti-freeze."
that it would boil away and needed to be replenished periodically. Woe
be unto the one who forgot to check the gravity of the alcohol-water mix
anti-freeze before a cold snap. That was a common cause of busted blocks
and/or popped core hole plugs "back in the day." Been there, done that.
> I was aware that mixed with water it would not burn, what I heard was
> that undiluted anti-freeze would, apparently from what Dave wrote it is
> the fumes from boiling anti-freeze will, I checked MSDS on ethylene
> glycol that I have used in manufacturing and it provides instructions
> dealing with spills that indicates it to be flammable...
>
> I suppose from a technical standpoint rum will not burn, when you make
> Bananas Foster and sit them alight it is the alcohols in the rum that
> burns.
>
> E
>
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Julian Burke" <julian@knology.net>
> To: "Military Vehicles Mailing List" <mil-veh@mil-veh.org>
> Sent: Friday, June 16, 2006 3:34 PM
> Subject: Re: [MV] antifreeze
>
>
>>
>> Anti freeze is not flamable-never was. Who told you that? Your
>> mixture of kerosene was. Cars would be exploding in crashes or common
>> radiator leaks! That's why it isn't flamable.
>>
>> Antifreeze was never meant to be used straight. 50/50 is the proper
>> mix. You're right, straight antifreeze does not give proper
>> protection. Think about it...................why isn't straight
>> antifreeze better??? It has to have a water content for the chemical
>> mixture. Because of shipping is why it comes straight. You would
>> need more mix and would then come in 5 gallon bottles. Would make it
>> cost more too.
>>
>> Julian Burke
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>> How much fluid in CUCV Radiator
>>>
>>> I have been told that the old familiar anti-freeze as it comes out of
>>> bottle is flammable - never tried it - has anyone heard this, and
>>> what about new stuff is it flammable?
>>>
>>> And while on subject - straight anti-freeze does not give same
>>> protection from low temperature as 50/50 mix, it will freeze at a
>>> higher temp than mix will. - so I have heard, never tried it.
>>>
>>> Back many years ago my buddies and I could not afford antifreeze - we
>>> used 2/3 kerosene, 1/3 water and hand full of detergent - detergent
>>> kept mixture mixed, at least we thought it did. Never had a freeze up.
>>>
>>> E
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