cooper and aluminium - water and antifreeze

ChronoS · 01-08-2003, 08:29 PM

i have an aluminiun heatercore and soon an cooper block, so i have to use water+antifreeze (i dont found water wetter), witch % of antifreeze do i have to use?

thanks

Hixup · 01-08-2003, 09:25 PM

if i remember correctly if you mix those two metals you in effect create a battery and something goes very bad. Anyone verify this?

bigben2k · 01-08-2003, 09:42 PM

Verified.

Check out this article.

For the proportion, see this article.

ChronoS · 01-08-2003, 10:51 PM

but what about the coolance exos?? it mix an aluminium heatercore with a cooper block

Alchemy · 01-09-2003, 01:44 AM

If you're going to use dissimilar metals, you need to use an additive designed to prevent galvanic corrosion. Most water treatments for cooling systems will have this.

Adding antifreeze to a normal cooling system will only harm performance. It will keep down the algae (most types, anyhow), but there are better ways to do that.

Alchemy

winewood · 01-10-2003, 04:00 PM

I understand that the sacrificial metal is good instead of being a chemist on your liquids and degrading the heat transfer properties of your fluid. If I used zinc or magnesium.. or both. Would this be bad?

Total metals:
Brass (barbs)
anodized aluminium (block)
Copper (radiator tubing or block)
Zinc AND
Magnesium

Does anyone see any benifit to using these 2 sacrificial metals if you can in your system. I am trying to reduce the additives to my water. I just dont want to end up making something thats explosive.

bigben2k · 01-10-2003, 04:22 PM

This chart might help.

You won't find anodized aluminium in there, since it doesn't apply.

Using a sacrificial anode is fine, but I would worry about the residue that it would leave in the coolant. See what Dan at dansdata.com encountered.

Given the above, I thought it might be worth looking into isolating the sacrificial anode in an area of the loop that sees no flow whatsoever, while still maintaining an "electrical" connection to the coolant. Maybe in a branch of a tee, with some kind of lint free filter?

winewood · 01-10-2003, 05:47 PM

That is the most perfectest

reply I have every recieved! Thanks!

bigben2k · 01-10-2003, 06:13 PM

You're most perfectestly welcome! I've never tried it, but it makes sense to me.

01-08-2003, 08:29 PM	#1
ChronoS Cooling Neophyte Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Argentina Posts: 9	cooper and aluminium - water and antifreeze i have an aluminiun heatercore and soon an cooper block, so i have to use water+antifreeze (i dont found water wetter), witch % of antifreeze do i have to use? thanks

01-08-2003, 09:25 PM	#2
Hixup Cooling Neophyte Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: By the computer Posts: 51	if i remember correctly if you mix those two metals you in effect create a battery and something goes very bad. Anyone verify this? __________________ AMD Athlon XP 1900+ Water Cooled Soyo SY-K7V Dragon plus! 512 DDR radoen 9500 Soft Mod Give Me Money

01-08-2003, 09:42 PM	#3
bigben2k Responsible for 2% of all the posts here. Join Date: May 2002 Location: Texas, U.S.A. Posts: 8,302	Verified. Check out this article. For the proportion, see this article. __________________ WBTA (Water Block Testing Alliance) Nordic Hardware WC 101

01-10-2003, 04:00 PM	#6
winewood Cooling Savant Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: in my chair Posts: 574	sacrificial metals. I understand that the sacrificial metal is good instead of being a chemist on your liquids and degrading the heat transfer properties of your fluid. If I used zinc or magnesium.. or both. Would this be bad? Total metals: Brass (barbs) anodized aluminium (block) Copper (radiator tubing or block) Zinc AND Magnesium Does anyone see any benifit to using these 2 sacrificial metals if you can in your system. I am trying to reduce the additives to my water. I just dont want to end up making something thats explosive. __________________ -winewood-

01-10-2003, 04:22 PM	#7
bigben2k Responsible for 2% of all the posts here. Join Date: May 2002 Location: Texas, U.S.A. Posts: 8,302	This chart might help. You won't find anodized aluminium in there, since it doesn't apply. Using a sacrificial anode is fine, but I would worry about the residue that it would leave in the coolant. See what Dan at dansdata.com encountered. Given the above, I thought it might be worth looking into isolating the sacrificial anode in an area of the loop that sees no flow whatsoever, while still maintaining an "electrical" connection to the coolant. Maybe in a branch of a tee, with some kind of lint free filter? __________________ WBTA (Water Block Testing Alliance) Nordic Hardware WC 101

01-08-2003, 10:51 PM	#4
ChronoS Cooling Neophyte Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Argentina Posts: 9	but what about the coolance exos?? it mix an aluminium heatercore with a cooper block

01-09-2003, 01:44 AM	#5
Alchemy Cooling Savant Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Boston Posts: 238	If you're going to use dissimilar metals, you need to use an additive designed to prevent galvanic corrosion. Most water treatments for cooling systems will have this. Adding antifreeze to a normal cooling system will only harm performance. It will keep down the algae (most types, anyhow), but there are better ways to do that. Alchemy

01-10-2003, 05:47 PM	#8
winewood Cooling Savant Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: in my chair Posts: 574	That is the most perfectest reply I have every recieved! Thanks! __________________ -winewood-

01-10-2003, 06:13 PM	#9
bigben2k Responsible for 2% of all the posts here. Join Date: May 2002 Location: Texas, U.S.A. Posts: 8,302	You're most perfectestly welcome! I've never tried it, but it makes sense to me. __________________ WBTA (Water Block Testing Alliance) Nordic Hardware WC 101

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