Why is a mixture of water and alcohol used in radiators of vehicles in cold countries?
If you are talking strictly about alcohol (like methanol, propanol) it will: 1. Lower the freezing point if mixed with water in a vehicle’s cooling system to help prevent freezing when engine is off. Freezing water expands when it turns to ice, so it can damage engine parts if water in the cooling system ices up and has nowhere to go. 2. It can be used as a temporary substitute for anti-freeze. Anti-freeze is better because in also contains glycerin type compounds which raise the boiling point so that you are also protected in the summer from overheating (just water and alcohol will lower the boiling point, so there’s a greater chance of overheating). Antifreeze also contains compounds that help prevent corrosion.
