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An inhibitor package which is silicate-, nitrate-, borate- and phosphate-free has been developed as the basis for a world-wide automotive coolant formulation. The formulation contains aliphatic mono- and dicarboxylic acids and tolyltriazole as the sole inhibitors. Formulations containing carboxylic acid inhibitors have been studied in ASTM bench tests and found to sufficiently protect all prevalent cooling system metals. In addition, fleet tests have shown that carboxylic acid inhibitors deplete much more slowly than conventional inhibitors, making possible a much longer life coolant. Results from laboratory tests which simulate extended usage indicated that carboxylic acid-containing coolants have a significantly longer life span for the protection of all cooling system metals. Finally, the carboxylic acid/tolyltriazole inhibitor package is completely adaptable to a propylene glycol base.

High lead solder coupons are frequently tested in ASTM D 1384-87 and D 2570-91 tests to determine the corrosion protection provided by engine coolants. In contrast to 70/30 solder, high lead solder is often observed to show relatively high corrosion rates in D 1384-87 testing. Surprisingly, the high lead solder corrosion rates tend to be lower in the D 2570-91 test, despite the longer duration of this test. The basis of this effect has been investigated in different coolant formulations and in both ethylene glycol and propylene glycol. The corrosion of high lead solder was found to be directly related to the presence of oxygen in the D 1384-87 test. Replacement of the air purge with a nitrogen purge significantly reduced the corrosion rate of high lead solder in inhibited coolants. These results are interpreted in terms of the solder composition.

The effect of small amounts of silicate on coolant performance has been studied. The corrosion protection provided by different coolant technologies was evaluated for different silicate contents. This work includes results from electrochemical tests and static and dynamic heat-rejecting tests on aluminum surfaces. The results indicate that small amounts of silicate have a negative effect on the corrosion protection of aluminum. Depletion of silicates can therefor be expected to affect aluminum heat-rejecting surfaces. The use of carboxylic acid corrosion inhibitors can overcome this problem.

Automobile coolant pump failure rates have been observed to be influenced by the coolant inhibitor package. A fleet test consisting of 196 1991 Ford Crown Victoria taxi cabs was utilized to test six coolant formulations. Four of the test formulations were monobasic/dibasic organic acid technology coolants and two were traditional technology coolants containing nitrate, phosphate, and silicate. Coolant pump failure rates were monitored as a function of mileage. Results indicate that the service life of coolant pumps for those systems employing organic acid technology coolants was significantly greater than those systems utilizing traditional inhibitor technology coolants.

Mixtures of a novel corrosion inhibitor, based on the synergistic combination of aliphatic mono- and dibasic acids with a traditional coolant have been evaluated in: a stability test an electrochemical test the ASTM D 1384 Glassware Corrosion Test the ASTM D 4340 Aluminum Heat-Rejection Test a Dynamic Heat-Transfer Test. This paper discusses the results of these tests and the relevance of the tests in assessing the performance of the coolant mixtures. Recommendations are made to the selection of methods that provide significant information on coolant compatibility.

Field testing of an extended life coolant technology in Class 8 trucks, equipped with Caterpillar C-12 engines revealed excellent coolant life with negligible inhibitor depletion to 400,000 miles with no refortification and no coolant top-off. In separate evaluations in Caterpillar 3406E equipped trucks, extended corrosion protection and component durability were established out to 700,000 miles, without the need for refortification other than top-off.

For several years now, organic acid based coolants and heat exchange fluids have been introduced on the automotive and industrial market place. The organic acid based coolants provide improved high temperature aluminum corrosion protection and longer drain intervals when compared to traditional coolants. In order to evaluate the organic acid based coolant quality in the field; the end user needs to be able to check several physico-chemical parameters of the coolant. First of all the amount of carboxylate based inhibitors should be determined because the customers can top the system with water. As a result the carboxylates can drop under the minimum required inhibitor level.

A fleet test using Propylene Glycol (PG) based coolant, recycled PG based coolant and PG mixed with ethylene glycol (EG) coolant was conducted using a fleet of employee vehicles. These coolants were all formulated using extended life, silicate free additive technology. This fleet consisted of a wide range of vehicle types and was run to verify the effectiveness of utilizing a PG based coolant across a broad spectrum of vehicle types. The results from this fleet test will be discussed. Results will include coolant analysis, parts inspection and vehicle repair histories. The environmental (toxicological) benefits of such a coolant will also be discussed.

Previous studies examined the effect of low levels of silicate (∼<75ppm Si) on hot aluminum corrosion protection. The corrosion protection provided by different coolant technologies was evaluated at different silicate levels. The results indicated that small amounts of silicate have a negative effect on the corrosion protection of aluminum. This work will examine these results and evaluate the effectiveness of different laboratory tests for determining coolant “compatibility.” Results will be examined from several bench and fleet tests showing the effect of coolant mixing on the corrosion rates in various environments. The bench test results will include laboratory glassware and dynamic tests that have been used historically to evaluate coolant compatibility. Differences between the test methods will also be evaluated to determine the relevance of each test procedure in light of the fleet observations.