Antifreeze

martinriches

martinriches

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I want to run some antifreeze through my raw water cooled Yanmar. A couple of years ago I bought some Ethylene glycol from the local builders merchants, last year I couldn,t find any. I am looking for something environmentally friendly as some of it will end up in the marina.What should I be looking for and ware can I buy it? preferable over the counter.I live in London.

Martin
 
I'm on one of the Sustainable Development Commission's panels. This topic of the environmental impact of such products as antifreeze is a recent agenda item.

Here's a US report which could make you think twice about putting a/f into an open system where it can run into the marina and river water.

"Antifreeze The toxic characteristics of antifreeze present a significant threat because the majority of antifreeze is lost to the environment. Antifreeze is a clear, colorless, sweet-tasting liquid that is attractive to small children and pets. If swallowed, it will cause depression, followed by respiratory and cardiac failure, and finally renal and brain damage. If improperly disposed of, antifreeze can contaminate groundwater and pose a serious health threat to humans and other animals. According to the Environmental Compliance Assistance Center (www.hazmat.frcc.cccoes. edu/antifreeze.htm):

The hazardous component of antifreeze, ethylene glycol, is very toxic to humans and pets. The U.S. EPA, at this time, has not regulated spent antifreeze as a hazardous waste because of its chemical composition. Used antifreeze may contain high levels of heavy metals that may exceed the regulatory limits when tested using the Toxic Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP). These metals are typically lead from the solder in the radiator or cadmium and chrome from the internal moving parts in the engine. "

I too live for a large part of the week on the Thames.

EDIT Sorry for rant.

I'll see if I can find something about an A/F which is safe.
 
Propylene glycol looks as it may be a possibility. A bit more expensive than ethylene glycol, but worth it ?


Watch this space.

EDIT

It forms the basis of such things as "personal lubricants" and in catfoods, cosmetics. I have asked for a technical colleague to research it a bit more.
 
Didn't think there was any environmentally friendly Anti-Freeze ... as it's based on Glycol.

Can you disconnect water to exhaust and collect the run-off that way ? Blanking the exhaust hole of course ... And not letting exhaust get too hot with extended running.
 
According to what I have read although poisonous when ingested, ethylene glycol breaks down to enviromentally harmless compounds in the general enviroment. I wouldn't have thought that a bit of it would bother the sea much.
 
Re: a safer Antifreeze

A bit of a lead.

There's a stuff called METSS ADF-2 which is used in the aircraft industry.

"The formula is based on the same raw materials used in food and cosmetic products. These materials are abundant, renewable, and easily affordable. METSS ADF-2 is also infinitely soluble in water, and non-corrosive to ferrous metals and non-ferrous alloys (no salts).

“It’s ready to use, meets all requirements for aircraft deicing fluids, and as demonstrated, is well suited for both military and commercial aircraft operations, which makes it technologically significant on a global scale"


Now to find who supplies it and the costs in the UK.
 
Can you post the toxicity reference please ?

It's at variance with some info that I have . I'd like to get more awareness on this issue.

thanks
 
Here
I was looking into the density of it the other day as I wasn't sure if the anti freeze I had was a concentrate or was already diluted.
 
[ QUOTE ]
I am looking for something environmentally friendly as some of it will end up in the marina.

[/ QUOTE ]

I let mine run into the bay under the engine then pump it out with a Pela pump and dispose of it in an appropriate receptacle. Any residue gets mopped up with a Pampers nappy.
 
Pumping ethylene glycol through your engine will do virtually nothing for it, apart from the obvious prevention of freezing should the temperature fall below zero. Alternatively, if you circulate a decent antifreeze through it your engine will benefit from the corrosion inhibitors that it contains.

As was said in replies to your original post, it is important to circulate the mixture until the engine is hot to ensure that all internal surfaces are treated after the thermostat opens. Just pumping it straight through into the Thames will do no good whatsoever, so if this is your intention it's not worth doing for technical reasons, in addition to the environmental concerns expressed above.
 
Mono Propylene Glycol (MPG) is used in the food industry I believe, as it's non toxic. Or at least, less toxic than other sorts. Not sure about toxicity to fish and other aquatic life, but at least your kids will be OK...

Always best to catch as much as you can & recycle or dispose of properly though, for cost reasons if nothing else!
 
Aren't there two questions here (or one and a half). In a raw water cooled engine the prime function of antifreeze out of season is to prevent corrosion, rather than to prevent freezing. I guess with most raw water cooled engines, there are ways to drain them down to prevent freezing damage. So what is really needed is an anti-corrosion fluid, not an anti-freeze fluid.

So what could be used as anti-corrosion, and what affect would that have on the environment?
 
"Mono Propylene Glycol (MPG) is used in the food industry I believe,"

So which Glycol would you like to talk about ? Mono Ethylene Glycol ... Di-Ethylene Glycol .... Poly-Ethylene Glycol ...

MPG ? Where did you get that from ?
 
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