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compatibility of glycol

Dave Heath_2
Dave Heath_2 Member Posts: 52
in THE MAIN WALL
Can any Wallie help me on this.
I have a project that has been charged with a 45 gallon barrel of propylene glycol and one barrel of ethylene glycol. This was by accident as system should have been only propylene. I have been told that the two glycols will cancel each other and the best solution would be to completely flush and start again. Obviously this will become costly. Is this absolutely necessary?

Your input would be greatly appreciated.

Comments

  • George_10
    George_10 Member Posts: 580
    Ask Drew at Noble Company

    e-mail him at Drew@noblecompany.com
  • Ken_8
    Ken_8 Member Posts: 1,640
    If you meant to write...

    One 45-gallon barrel of PG and one GALLON (not barrel as you wrote) of EG, the ratio of 45:1 will make such a small difference as to be inperceptable.

    I wouldn't change a thing.

    But what do I know...

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  • hr
    hr Member Posts: 6,106
    Can you

    contact the manufacture from the info on the drums?

    I've beed told the two can mix but the toxicity will be changed, as the EG has a higher level of toxicity. EG is a better heat transfer fluid and keep in ming PG at temperatures below 20°f becomes much more viscous the EG, making them much more difficult to pump. At below 0°F PG becomes impossible to pump with centrificul pumps.

    Most of the auto manufactures have switched to PG these days. When you take you car in for a cooling system flush all the drain glycols go into one recycling container.

    I asked a local glycol recycler how they deal with the unknow blend. I was curious as how they resell the recycled product as PG or EG.

    I also asked a DOW rep about mixing the two products. Of course they would rather you didn't but if they are inhibited for the same application they will mix without canceling as you indicated.

    My Dow source told me "On very rare ocassions the inhbitors used in the formulation are not compatiable, which causes a precipitate to form, but PG and EG are completely compatible with each other."

    In a system that size I would send a sample to the manufactures lab to analyze and tell you exactly where you stand. Usually a free service for large systems.

    hot rod

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