What are the components of coolant?

[Faith]

There are many types of automotive antifreeze, including inorganic substances like calcium chloride, and organic substances such as methanol, ethanol, ethylene glycol, glycerin, lubricating oil, as well as sugar and honey, which can all serve as the base liquid for antifreeze. Coolant consists of three main components: water, antifreeze agents, and additives. Depending on the type of antifreeze agent, coolants can be classified into alcohol-based, glycerin-based, and ethylene glycol-based types. Alcohol-based coolants use ethanol (commonly known as alcohol) as the antifreeze agent. They are inexpensive, have good fluidity, and are simple to prepare, but they have drawbacks such as a low boiling point, high evaporation loss, susceptibility to increased freezing points, and flammability, leading to their gradual phase-out. Glycerin-based coolants have a high boiling point, low volatility, are non-flammable, non-toxic, and minimally corrosive, but they are less effective at lowering freezing points, costly, and expensive, making them less acceptable to users. They are still used in a few Nordic countries. Ethylene glycol-based coolants use ethylene glycol as the antifreeze agent, supplemented with small amounts of comprehensive additives such as anti-foaming and anti-corrosion agents.