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Q. How do I use No-Rosion Cooling System Corrosion Inhibitor? A. With your vehicle’s engine cool and ignition off, open the radiator cap and pour in the proper dosage of No-Rosion. Then, start the engine, turn the heat on high, and allow the car to run for at least 10 minutes, or until you know the thermostat has opened. This will circulate No-Rosion through the entire system, thus providing full protection to the radiator, heater core, water pump, cylinder heads, engine block, and intake manifold. Q. What if my vehicle’s cooling system is already full? A. Open the petcock on the bottom of the radiator, and drain approximately one pint of coolant in order to create sufficient additional capacity for the addition of No-Rosion. If it is easier, siphon or use a pipette to extract the coolant from the top of the radiator. No-Rosion may also be added to the coolant expansion tank or reservoir, as long as the vehicle is driven regularly. It takes approximately 4-5 complete heat-up and cool-down cycles for the No-Rosion to make its way into the cooling system via the coolant reservoir. Q. How much No-Rosion is required for complete protection from corrosion, electrolysis, and scale build-up? A. One pint of No-Rosion treats cooling systems 10-22 quarts in capacity. For systems less than 10 quarts, add 1 ½ ounces per quart of coolant. For systems over 22 quarts, add one pint, plus 1 ½ additional ounces for every quart of capacity over 22 quarts. In straight water coolant applications, add 1 ½ pints No-Rosion (50% more than normal) to treat cooling systems 10-22 quarts in capacity. Q. How often should No-Rosion be added in order to maintain full protection? A. The corrosion inhibitors in No-Rosion are slowly depleted over time. For this reason, it is recommended that a treatment be added once every year or 30,000 miles – whichever comes first. Flush and refill after the 5th year. To view the lab results of the No-Rosion 5 Year Coolant Corrosion Test, click here. Q. Is No-Rosion compatible with the antifreeze currently in my vehicle’s cooling system? A. Yes. It is compatible with all types of antifreeze, including ethylene glycol and non-toxic propylene glycol. This includes traditional silicate-based (green-colored), Extended Life (orange-colored), and Universal Extended Life (yellow-colored) antifreezes. Q. Why is it necessary to flush a cooling system in the first place? A. Without No-Rosion, it is necessary to flush a cooling system every 18-24 months. Glycol in antifreeze breaks down over time to form glycolic acid (a weak acid) that reduces the pH of coolant and causes corrosion. Byproducts of combustion also contaminate coolant, causing further acidic degradation of coolant. At these lower pH levels, tiny rust particles begin to form, and combine with “silicates” in antifreeze and “hardness” in water to form insoluble gels. The gels reduce coolant flow through radiator tubes and reduces the system’s ability to transfer heat. Flushing removes harmful glycolic acid, combustion contaminants, and antifreeze gels. Q. Does application of No-Rosion allow me to flush less often? A. Yes. No-Rosion contains an ingredient called borate, which adds “reserve alkalinity” to coolant. Alkalinity continually buffers the pH of the coolant to safe levels. This prevents acidic degradation of coolant, and associated damage from glycolic acid and acidic combustion byproduct contaminants. No-Rosion also contains polymer dispersants that prevent the formation of antifreeze gels. For this reason, the proper application of No-Rosion allows the time between cooling system flushes to be extended to 5 years. Q. Will No-Rosion “rejuvenate” old, broken down antifreeze? A. Yes, but only to a degree. The sodium hydroxide in No-Rosion will elevate the pH of coolant to a degree, thus neutralizing glycolic acid and creating a slight “rejuvenating” effect. However, antifreeze more than 3-4 years old should be drained, flushed, and refilled with fresh antifreeze prior to application of No-Rosion. Q. Why is No-Rosion dark pink in color? A. The color serves a functional purpose. No-Rosion contains a pH-indicator called “phenolphthalein,” which turns pink above a pH of 8.5, and goes clear at a pH below 8.5. Because No-Rosion was originally formulated for the treatment of large, high-dollar industrial cooling systems, the pH-indicator allows industrial engineers a quick and easy way to identify the pH of system waters. Q. Why does No-Rosion seem to lose its color when it is added to my vehicle’s cooling system? A. When No-Rosion is added to an automotive cooling system, it immediately acts to neutralize any existing weak acids. Therefore, you may notice a loss of the pink color as No-Rosion’s alkalinity acts to neutralize acids. Dyes in antifreeze also interfere with No-Rosion’s pH indicator, thus making this effect difficult to distinguish unless plain water coolant is used. Q. Is there any advantage to using straight water and No-Rosion as coolant, WITHOUT ANTIFREEZE? A. Yes. Straight water has nearly TWICE the heat transfer capacity as glycol-based antifreeze, and nearly 50% more heat transfer capacity than a 50/50 mix. This causes cooling systems containing glycol to run hotter, since the transfer of heat from cylinder heads to coolant, and then from coolant to the outside environment via the radiator is far less efficient. This is particularly the case if your vehicle was built prior to the 1950’s. Engines in older cars were originally designed to use alcohol for antifreeze, and running today’s viscous glycol blends can cause overheating. Glycol also gels in the presence of engine oil, which can cause severe bearing damage and engine failure if even slight amounts of glycol coolant seeps into the crankcase. Older engines having cylinder heads torqued to less than 40 ft/lbs can fall prey to this type of damage. However, straight water coolant leaves system metals vulnerable to corrosion. No-Rosion provides 100% corrosion protection when used with straight water coolant, thus completely solving this problem. Q. What is the most common cause of overheating? A. Over time, silicates in antifreeze and hardness in water become insoluble, and combine to form antifreeze “gels.” This process is accelerated by using aged antifreeze, or tap water with a high concentration of hardness. As antifreeze gels circulate through the system, they reduce coolant flow through radiator tubes, which in turn reduces heat transfer and increases operating temperatures. If antifreeze is not drained, flushed, and refilled every 18-24 months, gels adhere to high heat-transfer areas, baking onto metal surfaces to form “scales” and “deposits.” Scales only 1/16” thick decrease heat transfer by 40%, thus causing overheating. Q. What causes damage to the water pump? A. Antifreeze gels, due to their chemical composition, are very gritty. Think of them as “liquid sandpaper.” As they pass through the working parts of the water pump, they erode the impeller, which can contribute to increased operating temperatures due to decreased coolant flow. Eventually the gels make their way to the seals of the water pump, causing leaks and water pump failure. Q. How does No-Rosion solve the problem of antifreeze gels? A. No-Rosion contains complex polymer “dispersants” that prevent the silicates in antifreeze and the hardness in water from becoming insoluble. It also lubricates the working parts and seals of water pumps, preventing associated damage and failure. Q. Will No-Rosion actively clean or remove existing scales and deposits in already-fouled systems? A. No. However, there is a slight tendency over time to reduce deposit thickness, as the polymers in No-Rosion continually pass over existing deposit surfaces, slowly putting them back into solution. Q. What makes today’s new “Extended Life” antifreeze blends different? A. Extended Life antifreeze does not contain non-organic silicates as corrosion inhibitors. Rather, it contains 100% organic materials called carboxylates, which tend to stay in solution better over time than silicates. If/when carboxylates become insoluble, carboxylate gels are far less abrasive then silicate gels, thus not causing damage to the water pump. This allows an extended service interval of 5 years for vehicles which started with Extended Life antifreeze as factory fill. Q. Should I convert my car’s cooling system to “Extended Life” antifreeze? A. It is NOT recommended. The carboxylates in orange-colored Extended Life antifreeze require 3,000 miles of driving before they “passivate” the metal surfaces in a cooling system – whereas silicates in traditional green-colored antifreeze passivate after as little as 20 miles of driving. Passivation involves the electrochemical formation of a protective surface film that bonds to the metal, preventing corrosion. The mechanism of passivation is reliant upon flow and heat. Obviously these two conditions are absent when an engine is not run for extended periods of times, as is frequently the case with antique/collector cars and race cars. Through research, Applied Chemical Specialties has observed that passivation is a dynamic process, in which surfaces films continually slough off and replace themselves from residual inhibitor contained within the surrounding coolant solution. Therefore, if one begins with metal surfaces that were originally passivated with silicates from traditional antifreeze, and then switches to the carboxlate-containing antifreeze, an interesting thing occurs. As the existing silicate film sloughs off, there is no replacement silicate present in the surrounding coolant to re-passivate. And because there will be little, if any, exposed metal to which the carboxylates can electrochemically bond, the mechanism of carboxylate passivation remains incomplete. The technical term used to describe this breakdown is “bridging.” As time passes, silicate passivation deteriorates, and carboxylate passivation remains incomplete. The net effect is a metal surface that progressively loses corrosion protection. Over time, this leads to damage and component failure. Q. What have antifreeze manufacturers done to address this issue of “bridging?” A. They have warned dealerships and consumers, via various service bulletins, not to mix green, traditional blends with orange, Extended Life blends, and noted this would negate the 5 year extended life service performance of the product. Q. What if my vehicle came with Extended Life antifreeze as factory fill? A. Continue using it. If it has never been contaminated with traditional silicate-based antifreeze, it will provide the 5 year service interval as advertised by the manufacturers. And add No-Rosion, as it is fully compatible with the carboxylates in Extended Life antifreeze, and still provides a full range of incremental benefits, including enhanced corrosion and electrolysis protection. Q. What is the chemistry behind the yellow-colored “Universal Extended Life” antifreeze? A. This is a “hybrid” antifreeze, similar to what has been used in Europe in prior years. It is a low-silicate blend with carboxylates and other organic inhibitors. It is marketed for use with either traditional green-colored or Extended-Life orange-colored antifreeze. Q. How does No-Rosion prevent electrolysis and galvanic action between dissimilar metals? A. Electrolysis occurs when a very small electrical current passes between metals having different electronegativities, such as iron and aluminum. Various contaminants in coolant allow it to function as an electrolyte solution, causing the more electronegative metal (aluminum) to gradually be dissolved. No-Rosion contains a premium ingredient called “molybdate,” a form of the semi-precious metal “molybdenum.” Via a process known as “electrocrystallization,” molybdate forms a molecular-thick film on the surface of aluminum that inhibits the transfer of electrons, thus almost completely preventing damage from electrolysis. To view the lab results of the No-Rosion Multi-Metal Electrolysis Erosion Test, click here. Q. Is this more effective than using a sacrifical anode, such as zinc or magnesium? A. Yes. While sacrificial anodes may provide some localized protection within close vicinity of the anode, the protection does not reach all remote areas of the system, whereas the molybdate in No-Rosion provides complete protection to the entire system. Q. Why don’t antifreeze manufacturers blend molybdate into their formulations? A. The inclusion of molybdate in the No-Rosion formula adds significant cost. Not only is the raw material ingredient very expensive, it adds significant complexity to the blending process. This is just not cost-effective for large manufacturers of antifreeze. Q. How does No-Rosion prevent wet sleeve cylinder liner cavitation erosion? A. The area where the coolant comes into contact with the metal wet sleeve cylinder liners is extremely hot. Localized boiling occurs, regardless of coolant type. As the coolant nears the boiling phase, tiny vacuoles are formed in the coolant solution. The vibration of the cylinder liners from the running of the engine causes these vacuoles to implode. The countless implosions of vacuoles cause the metal surfaces of the liners to slowly erode. No-Rosion contains an ingredient called nitrite, which forms a thin oxide film that protects the metal surfaces of wet sleeve cylinder liners when the vacuoles implode, thus preventing erosion. Q. What type of water is best to use as coolant? A. Many people have heard that distilled water is best to use in a cooling system. This is wrong, unless a mix of 50/50 antifreeze is used. While it certainly is true that distilled water’s purity prevents electrolysis and scale/deposit formation, it unfortunately comes with a potentially very damaging side effect. During the distillation process, water is vaporized into it’s gaseous phase, so all impurities are left behind. These impurities include a number of minerals, including calcium and magnesium – the two components of “hardness.” The water is then condensed back into it’s liquid phase, so the resulting liquid is pure water – in fact, some of the purest water on earth. The problem is that when water is distilled, or “stripped” of impurities, the resulting solution is composed of chemically imbalanced “ions.” This leaves distilled water “electrochemically hungry,” so it will actually strip electrons from the metals in a cooling system as it attempts to chemically re-balance itself. As it chemically removes electrons from the cooling system metals, it does damage that will eventually lead to leaks and system failure. Using distilled water in combination with 50% antifreeze is no problem, because the distilled water will seek and find electrochemical balance from the various chemical ingredients in the antifreeze mixture. But using distilled water as straight water coolant, either with or without No-Rosion, is strongly discouraged. The best type of water to use as coolant is softened water – especially if you run straight water coolant, without antifreeze. During the water softening process, the same impurities and minerals are removed from water as the distillation process – but with one very important distinction. Rather than STRIPPING the impurities from water, softening EXCHANGES the impurities with a sodium ion. The resulting solution is electrochemically stable and ionically balanced, making softened water very stable, pure, and non-threatening to cooling system metals. It should be added, there seems to be a perceptual issue with regard to usage of softened water. Many mistakenly believe that because SALT is added to water softeners, softened water must contain salt, a substance known to be very corrosive. Nothing could be further from the truth. The salt that’s added to a water softener is NaCl, or sodium chloride. During the softening process, only the sodium ion is exchanged into the water, whereas chloride ions are removed when the softener is regenerated. Therefore, softened water does NOT contain corrosive salt. Q. What are the benefits of using softened water? A. Soft water lacks the impurities of tap water. When used as coolant, it will not act as an electrolyte, thereby minimizing damage from electrolysis. And it will not form antifreeze gels and scales/deposits, which reduces the possibility of eventual overheating. However, it should be noted that regardless of whether tap water or softened water is used, No-Rosion prevents these types of damage. This is one of the important benefits of the product, since not everybody has easy access to softened water at all times. Q. For long storage periods, should I drain the coolant and leave the system dry? A. No. The single biggest enemy to metals in a cooling system is air – specifically, the oxygen contained in air. This is because oxygen is the key driver, or chemical component, to the corrosion process. For example, when it comes to iron components, the chemical equation for corrosion (i.e. the formation of “rust”) is as follows: Fe + O2 + H2O => Fe2O3*H2O + H+ …where “Fe” is iron, O2 is oxygen, H2O is water, and Fe2O3*H2O is “rust.” Therefore, if a system is devoid of oxygen, it is chemically impossible for the corrosion process to take place. Unfortunately, there is nearly always some amount of oxygen in liquid solutions. Water typically contains what is known as “dissolved oxygen” (i.e. oxygen that is not in gaseous phase). Dissolved oxygen will drive the corrosion process. For this reason, No-Rosion contains a premium ingredient known as an “oxygen scavenger,” which chemically removes dissolved oxygen from either a 50/50 mix or straight water coolant – preventing corrosion. Importantly, No-Rosion is the only coolant additive available on the market today that contains a commercial grade oxygen scavenger. With this in mind, one can easily understand why draining a cooling system and storing it “dry” is the wrong thing to do. Draining the system introduces enormous quantities of air (and therefore oxygen) to metal surfaces. When combined with even the slightest amount of humidity, the corrosion process will thrive, and the system will corrode – badly. Many museums have made this error, only to discover this fact many years later when they attempt to return vehicles to the road for driving. For this reason, No-Rosion is used by many world-class automotive museums in their long-term preservation efforts. Q. Does No-Rosion pass ASTM tests? A. Yes. It far exceeds all ASTM D2570 corrosion standards, as demonstrated by the following laboratory test data:
*Corrosion loss (in milligrams) after 7 weeks, using ASTM-simulated corrosive water, 190o F., 23 gal/min, 7 weeks duration. Q. Is No-Rosion compatible with stop-leak and water-wetting coolant additives? A. Yes, there are no compatibility issues between No-Rosion and these type of other additives. Q. Will No-Rosion cause any damage to plastic or rubber cooling system components? A. No. No-Rosion will not cause premature drying, cracking, or failure of rubber or plastic components. Q. What is the shelf-life of No-Rosion? A. 5 years. No-Rosion should be stored in temperatures between 30o F. and 90o F. The product freezes at approximately 10o F., and boils at approximately 218o F. It therefore does NOT provide freeze or boilover protection when used at recommended dosages. Q. How does No-Rosion benefit the environment? A. Because No-Rosion extends the effective life of antifreeze to 5 years, this means less toxic antifreeze is introduced to the environment, due to extended service intervals and less frequent draining and flushing. Q. How does No-Rosion compare to other cooling system corrosion inhibitors? A. No-Rosion is the ONLY product on the market today that offers complete, laboratory-documented and fleet-tested 5 year protection against corrosion, electrolysis, deposit/scale formation, and wet sleeve cylinder liner cavitation erosion. Q. How will No-Rosion save me time and money? A. Less frequent draining and flushing of coolant saves you time. And less frequent refilling of antifreeze saves you money, because you purchase antifreeze less often. Less corrosion and damage to cooling system metals significantly lengthens the effective life of radiators, heater cores, water pumps, and engine components, meaning you’ll encounter fewer expensive failures and breakdowns. If you have questions not found in this sheet, contact: NoRosion@aol.com. |
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