Can a mixture of mostly water be used in a radiator during the summer months?

[JellyBeanDriver]

Originally Posted by BOHICA-Chevy68

I don't mean to be argumentative, I just want to make sure the right info is portrayed. Ethylene Glycol adsorbs heat far better then H2O. Waters Boiling Point is 220 degrees F and EG is 387. The chemical make up alone makes it a better heat adsorbent. I only Appel of this a a HAZMAT tech with a chemistry degree. Far more is going on then just raising the freezing point of H2O.
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Also not meant to be argumentative but you are wrong. You cannot go by boiling point alone to determine heat transfer. Oil has a higher BP yet is less effective than water for carrying away heat. Same for ethylene glycol.

From this site (one of many)

Note! The specific heat capacity of ethylene glycol based water solutions are less than the specific heat capacity of clean water. For a heat transfer system with ethylene glycol the circulated volume must be increased compared to a system with clean water.

In a 50% solution with operational temperatures above 36 oF the specific heat capacity is decreased with approximately 20%. The reduced heat capacity must be compensated by circulating more fluid.

also here

As the concentration of glycol in the solution increases, the thermal performance of the heat transfer fluid decreases. Therefore, it is best to use the lowest possible concentration of inhibited glycol necessary to meet your corrosion and freeze protection needs. Dow Chemical recommends a minimum concentration of

And lastly here

It is often observed that if the addition of ethylene glycol is so beneficial why don’t we just run it at 100%? Since pure ethylene glycol freezes at about 8° F and boils at 330° F, it appears that the freezing level has been improved and the upper end boiling point has been extended by 50%. However, the use of straight ethylene glycol will result in a 25% reduction in heat capacity, or heat carrying, capability compared to water. In an automobile the cooling system (the radiator) would have to be increased in size, therefore, by roughly 25% to provide the same cooling capacity.

This is why it is not recommended to run 100% antifreeze in cars, besides the viscosity change.