Whats an organic coolant?

[HKS]

I would like to know more about organic coolants. And how would I come to know whether my car has an organic coolant or a normal one? And what are the merits and demerits of organic coolants?

Cheers
Rachit

[riff_raff]

With regards to chemistry, any molecular compound containing carbon is considered "organic"; and any molecular compound that does not contain carbon is considered "inorganic". So if you have ethylene glycol (C2H4(OH)2) or propylene glycol (C3H8O2) mixtures in your engine coolant, then technically you have an "organic" chemical compound in there.

As for being "normal", ethylene glycol/water mixtures have been used as engine coolants for many years. Pure water is a more efficient coolant, but the addition of ethylene glycol, plus other additives, makes a less corrosive mixture with a lower freezing point and higher boiling point.

Technically, it's "organic", just don't drink it!

[bar555]

riff_raff wrote :
With regards to chemistry, any molecular compound containing carbon is considered "organic"; and any molecular compound that does not contain carbon is considered "inorganic"....

just a small corection if you do not mind
Every molecule containing C-C ( single , double or triple ) or C-H bonds is organic . All the others containg Carbon are inorganic such as CO , CO2 , CaCO3 etc . Of cource there are some examples that are considered organic such as
H3N-CO-NH3

As regards engine cooling and organic coolants check this
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Engine_cooling

[checkered]

Technically, it's "organic", just don't drink it!

... Which brings to

mind, for all the produce marketed as "organic", I've yet to see one single "inorganically" grown vegetable anywhere. Sorry for going OT there, it's just that semantic inaccuracies are amongst some of my pet peeves, not least because more often than not they reveal some very real contradictions in the underlying logic.

[HKS]

Hey thanks for the help.

[riff_raff]

Talent,

Thanks for the correction. I pulled out the old college chemistry text just to check the definition of "organic chemistry", but it was rather vague.

[Belatti]

And how would I come to know whether my car has an organic coolant or a normal one?

Just look to the colour of the water in the plastic expansion tank (or inside radiator in old cars):

- Orange: just water colored by iron oxide, thats corrosion, beware!
- Blue or Green: it has an organic coolant, usually you have to mix it with water in a proportion of 30/70 or 40/60 and even more for very cold climates. (if you are in India just fill with a 1L bottle and complete with demineralized water)
- Transparent: maybe only water recently changed or maybe an organic coolant without color (it exists but its not common)

If your case is the orange or transparent one and want to be sure, just find the screw-on cap down the radiator, open it and let the liquid go away. Then close it. When the engine is cold (this is very important) start you car and leave it at idle rpm, then start filling inside expansion plastic tank with Coolant and D-Water (lets say 250cc each) till the 1L coolant is inside. Complete the rest with water, till the recomended mark. This way you wont have air "bubbles" in the refrigeration circuit, that can generate hot points, poor coolant circulation and even provoke and accident if later you open the expansion tank when hot.
I recomend to do that when you buy a used car or at least once per 2 years.