What is coolant primarily made of?

Coolant is primarily used in automotive and industrial applications to regulate temperature and prevent overheating in engines and systems. The mixture of ethylene glycol and water serves a crucial role, as ethylene glycol lowers the freezing point and raises the boiling point of the fluid, ensuring efficient heat transfer and protecting against temperature extremes.

The choice indicating a composition of 60% ethylene glycol and 40% water suggests a balance between antifreeze properties and water's heat capacity. This mixture offers effective thermal performance while ensuring that the coolant does not freeze in low temperatures or boil over in high temperatures, making it a suitable formulation commonly used in many cooling systems.

Other combinations may either skew too heavily towards water, reducing the antifreeze properties, or towards ethylene glycol in such a way as to impact the heat transfer efficiency unfavorably. The 60/40 ratio provides an optimal blend for many scenarios encountered in electrical power production environments and other automotive systems.