KOOLIT® Supreme Coolant Treatment is chemically engineered to reduce the surface tension of coolant, penetrating metal surfaces at vital heat-transfer areas. This decreases operating temperatures and significantly reduces the possibility of overheating.

Due to its unique chemical composition, Kool-is also very effective prevent-ing damage from electrolysis, corrosion, and pitting. The overwhelming majority of failures associated with aluminum radiators found in most newer vehicles are due to corrosion. This corrosion is a result of deficient chemical protection within the coolant.

KOOLIT® is the easiest and most cost effective way to protect radiators and heater cores preventing warranty claims. KOOLIT® is compatible with all types of antifreeze, providing total cooling system protection required for today’s modern cars and trucks.

SupremeCoolant Treatment

›› Protects all metals from electrolysis›› Provides unsurpassed cooling system corrosion protection›› Enhances heat transfer

and reduces operating temperatures›› Prevents deposits and

contamination which leadto overheating

›› Reduces water pump, impeller and intake manifold pitting›› Reduces wet-sleeve cylinder

liner cavitation erosion

›› Corrects coolant pH balance›› Only coolant protectant

with built-in pH indicator(for use only in straightwater applications)

›› Prevents warranty claims›› Extends coolant life

up to five years›› Compatible with all types

of antifreeze

™

AVAILABILITYStock No. Unit Size Case Qnty96001 16 oz. 12/c

A. Stray electricalcurrent can causeexcessive corrosion ofmetal components

B. an electrochemicalreaction that willproduce voids intubes.

THE #1 CAUSE OF ROADSIDEFAILURE IS COOLANT SYSTEM RELATED!

SOURCE: NATIONAL AUTOMOTIVE RADIATOR SERVICE ASSOCIATION

By Mike Dwyer

International Lubricants Inc. (ILI),Seattle — maker of LubeGard automotiveproducts — is as a leading manufacturer ofboth automotive and industrial lubricantsknown for representing quality, perform-ance and value in today’s demandingmarket. ILI is an industry leader in devel-oping unique synthetic, ester-basedlubricants and holds over 100 foreign andU.S. patents on its technologies. ILI’s mostrecent venture has been into the radiatorand engine cooling field with a line of prod-ucts aptly named Kool-It®. The new lineincludes Supreme Coolant Treatment,Radiator Flush, and Evaporator and HeaterFoam Cleaner. ILI promotes Kool-It as anadditive that enhances heat transfer andreduces operating temperatures; extendscoolant life up to five years; preventscooling system corrosion; protects allmetals from electrolysis; preventsdeposits that lead to overheating; andreduces cavitation erosion.

What Kool-It DoesThere is already a number of coolingsystem additives—often referred to as waterwetters—provided by several companies,including Red Line®, Interject®, andGunk®, that also claim to offer corrosionprotection and reduce the inherent highsurface tension of water molecules.

One key feature of a cooling systemadditive is that it helps reduce operatingtemperatures. As an internal combustionengine burns the fuel/air mixture, the

resultant high engine operating tempera-tures can create hot spots that cause anincrease in water vapor in these high-temperature areas. Water vapor reducesthe surface area between water and theengine, thus inhibiting the heat-transfercapabilities of the engine coolant.

Most products that claim reduce oper-ating temperatures contain a carboxylate toboth protect against corrosion and to reducethe surface tension of the liquid. Kool-Itperforms a similar function. In essence, allof these types of products “lubricate” thewater in the cooling system, helping preventoverheating.

In general, there are three mainreasons why using additives like Kool-Itmay be beneficial to your customer’sengine cooling system. Firstly, they havethe potential to reduce harmful cavitationand foaming that may occur when thewater pump is kicking out fluid at a rapidpace. This reduced foaming helps toprevent damage to aluminum surfaces.

Secondly, these additives helptransmit heat from the coolant to the radi-ating surfaces within the radiator. Even ifa vehicle runs very cool, these additivesadd an extra level of protection in case athermostat or similar component fails.

Thirdly, the additives contain corro-sion inhibitors. We’re all well aware thatmost cars on the road have coolingsystems that do not contain the ideal50/50 water/antifreeze ratio for which theantifreeze is designed by manufacturers.The additives help minimize potentialcorrosion by maintaining adequate pH

levels. Even if the antifreeze alreadycontains surfactant additives, the use ofthese additional additives is usually bene-ficial because most cars are shortchangedon the 50/50 water/coolant mix.

Kool-It PerksBecause Kool-It contains borate, whichadds reserve alkalinity, less frequentflushing is required. Alkalinity continuallybuffers the pH of the coolant to safe levels.This prevents acidic degradation of coolant,and the associated damage from glycolicacid and acidic combustion byproductcontaminants.

Kool-It also contains polymer disper-sants which prevent the formation ofantifreeze gels. For this reason, the properapplication of Kool-It allows the timebetween cooling system flushes to beextended to five years. Because the corro-sion inhibitors in Kool-It are slowlydepleted over time, ILI recommendsadding it once every year or 30,000miles, whichever comes first.

When the types of additives found inKool-It Supreme Coolant Treatment arenot present it is necessary to flush acooling system every 18 to 24 months.There are a couple reasons for this. One,glycol in antifreeze breaks down overtime to form glycolic acid (a weak acid)that reduces the pH of coolant and causescorrosion. Byproducts of combustion alsocontaminate coolant, causing furtheracidic degradation of the coolant. At theselower pH levels, tiny rust particles beginto form and combine with silicates inantifreeze and “hardness” in water toform insoluble gels. This process is accel-erated by using aged antifreeze, or tapwater with a high concentration of hard-ness. As antifreeze gels circulate throughthe system, they adhere to heat-transferareas, baking onto metal surfaces to formscales and deposits. Scales that measureonly 1/16” thick decrease heat transfer by40 percent causing overheating. Flushingremoves harmful glycolic acid, combus-tion contaminants, and antifreeze gels.

In older antifreeze, the sodiumhydroxide in Kool-It will elevate the pHof coolant to a degree, thus neutralizingglycolic acid and creating a slight “reju-venating” effect. However, antifreezemore than three to four years old shouldbe drained, flushed, and refilled withfresh antifreeze prior to the application ofKool-It.

Cool it With Kool-It®A new cooling system additive from International Lubricants

claims to prevent corrosion and electrolysis, while enhancingheat transfer and reducing operating temps.

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One nice feature of Kool-It is itscompatibility with all types of antifreeze,including ethylene glycol and propyleneglycol. This includes traditional silicate-based (green), extended life (orange), anduniversal extended life (yellow)antifreezes.

One attribute that makes Kool-Itsomewhat unique is its use of nitrites,which are typically much more commonin coolant used in heavy-duty engines, toprotect wet sleeve liners. They are rarelypresent in coolants designed for use incars and light trucks. Diesel engines inHD trucks take an extraordinary

pounding compared to gasoline-poweredengines in passenger cars. A diesel enginemay travel over 100,000 miles a year, anda HD truck is likely to remain in servicefor 10 or more years. Constant operationover such a long and rough service lifedemands that diesel engines be rebuiltevery three to five years.

To facilitate such overhauls, dieselengines are equipped with replaceablecombustion cylinder liners, better knownas “wet-sleeve” liners. Rather thanmachine the cylinder walls or replace theengine block, most diesel engine over-hauls involve replacing the wet-sleeveliners to restore the cylinders to like-new

condition. Cars aren’t equipped with wet-sleeve liners because they rarely sufferthe degree of wear and tear common tomost HD diesel engines.

Another reason for wet-sleeve linersrelates to the temperatures that dieselengines must endure. Under the stressesof a full-load, a diesel engine runs veryhot, so coolant needs to be brought in asclose as possible to the heat generator inthe combustion chamber in order to carrythat heat away. A conventional gas-powered engine block would be too thickto provide sufficient heat transfer in a HDdiesel application. With a wet-sleeveliner, which is relatively thin, the coolant

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Pros:A highly soluble pH buffer used to maintain the alkalinityof the coolant within optimum range.

Has been used for extensive applications as an anti-corro-sion additive. Allows for the reduction of nitrite withoutthe loss of cylinder liner cativation protection in HD appli-cations.

Is the singular inhibitor of choice to prevent wet-sleevecylinder liner cavitation corrosion in HD applications. It isthe primary coolant SCA component.

A close relative to nitrite. Possesses anti-corrosive proper-ties for ferrous metals and aluminum. Highly soluble inwater and not known to be problematic in high levels ofconcentration. This is a benefit since the nitrate levelincreases with the age of the coolnat as a result of nitrateoxidation.

Cheap alternative to borate for buffering coolant pH.

Very effective aluminum protection chemical.

A chemistry that almost eliminates the possibility of silcate drop-out

Cons:More expensive to use than phosphate, the alternative.

A very costly additive that complicates the evaluation ofcoolant chemistries. Errors in coolant maintenance havebeen traced to improper evaluation of molybdate/nitritebalances and these errors have been responsible for enginefailures.

As the nitrite depletes, its concentration must be main-tained by some method of SCA addition.

No real drawbacks.

Highly problematic, limited solubility when mixed withcoolant. Contributes to premature water pump failure.

Has a limited solubility and can precipitate, particularly inhard water, if over treatment occurs.

Adds considerable cost to coolant mix.

Additive:Borate

Molybdate

Nitrite

Nitrate

Phosphate

Silicate

SilicateStabilizer

In general, engine coolant additives are meant to:• Reduce cooling system corrosion.• Reduce cavitation that results from tiny air bubbles in the coolant. Heavy-duty coolant additives in the form of spin-on filters or the

concentrated pour-in variety are a staple for OTR truck fleets.• Buffer the acidity of the engine coolant, helping prevent corrosion and damage to the cooling system caused by high acidity.Common engine coolant additives include: nitrates (corrosion inhibitors, buffers), silicates (corrosion inhibitors, especially for aluminumradiators), carboxylates (buffers, corrosion inhibitors), and borates (buffers).

Coolant components show up in many different mixes, products and additives. This chart offers a list of basic pros and consregarding coolants and related additives.

E n g i n e C o o l a n t A d d i t i v e s

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passes much closer to the heat source andcan provide improved heat transfer.

While wet-sleeve liners are great atfacilitating heat transfer and simplifyingengine overhauls, they can pose prob-lems. The area where the coolant comesinto contact with the wet-sleeve cylinderliners is extremely hot. Localized boilingoccurs, regardless of coolant type. As thecoolant nears the boiling phase, tinyvacuoles are formed in the coolant solu-tion. The vibration of the cylinder linersfrom the running of the engine causesthese vacuoles to implode. This is calledcavitation erosion. The countless implo-sions of vacuoles cause the metal surfacesof the liners to slowly erode. As a result,wet-sleeve liners require special coolantadditives to reduce liner pitting andcorrosion. In HD diesel applications,nitrites form a thin oxide film thatprotects the metal surfaces of wet-sleevecylinder liners when the vacuolesimplode, thus preventing erosion. If Kool-It is used at twice the recommendedconcentration it would be a potentialheavy-duty SCA.

Another unique feature of Kool-It isits “built in pH indicator.” Phenothalein, apH indicator that has been used bycompanies such as Penray (previouslyNalco) and Fleetguard in their heavy-dutySCAs for over 40 years (and still is), isnot found in other light-duty coolantadditives. In straight water applications,the phenolphthalein turns pink above apH of 8.5, and goes clear at a pH below8.5. Also, because Kool-It containsborate, it has a pH of around 11 andaccordingly appears dark pink in color.Because Kool-It was originally formu-lated for the treatment of large,high-dollar industrial cooling systems, thepH-indicator allows industrial engineers aquick and easy way to identify the pH ofsystem waters.

The Kool-It pH indicator is mostuseful in the racecar industry as themajority now use straight water mixeswithout any antifreeze because of itssuperior heat transfer. This simple pHindicator allows the mechanic to knowthe approximate pH of the straight watercoolant at a glance without having to runextra tests. If it indicates the pH is toolow, the mechanic will know to addanother pint of Kool-It to eliminate andprotect against corrosion buildup.

Conductivity and CorrosionElectrolysis occurs when a very small elec-trical current passes between metals havingdifferent electronegativities, such as ironand aluminum. Various contaminants incoolant allow it to function as an electrolytesolution, causing the more electronegativemetal (aluminum) to gradually be dissolved.

Kool-It contains a premium molybdate,which via a process known as “electro crys-tallization,” forms a molecular-thick film onthe surface of aluminum that inhibits thetransfer of electrons, thus almostcompletely preventing damage from elec-trolysis. The inclusion of molybdate in theKool-It formula adds significant cost. Notonly is the raw material ingredient veryexpensive, it adds significant complexity tothe blending process. This is not generallycost-effective for large manufacturers ofantifreeze, but in hopes of differentiatingthe product and enhancing its performance,ILI chooses to utilize the molybdates.

The debate has raged for yearswithin the industry as to whether distilledwater is best to use in a cooling system.Although plenty of OEMs actuallyrequire the use of distilled water in theirvehicles’ cooling systems under the threatof a possible warranty violation, the folksat LubeGard tell us that the insistenceupon the use of distilled water is wrong.Their argument is that while it is true thatdistilled water’s purity prevents electrol-ysis and scale/deposit formation, itunfortunately comes with a potentiallydamaging side effect.

During the distillation process, wateris vaporized so all its impurities are leftbehind. These impurities include anumber of minerals, including calciumand magnesium, the two components thatmake water hard. The water is thencondensed back into its liquid phase, sothe result is pure water. The problem isthat when water is distilled, or “stripped”of impurities, the resulting solution iscomposed of chemically imbalanced“ions.” This leaves distilled water “elec-trochemically hungry,” so it will actuallystrip electrons from the metals in acooling system as it attempts to chemi-cally re-balance itself. As it chemicallyremoves electrons from the coolingsystem metals, it does damage that willeventually lead to leaks and systemfailure. Using distilled water withantifreeze tends to lessen this effect, asthe distilled water will seek and find elec-trochemical balance from the various

chemical ingredients in the antifreeze mixture. However, there is still potential risk involved.

ILI argues for the use of softened water in engine cooling applications, especially if you run straight water coolant, without antifreeze, such as in racing. Some sources indicate that techni-cians should avoid using softened water to fill an engine cooling system under the assumption that it contains salt, which will become conductive in water. Thus, softened water can turn the engine cooling system into a type of battery. The fear is that a resulting electrical current will destroy engine components, whether they are aluminum or iron. This assump-tion discounts the effect of anticorrosion additives found in a typical cooling system. In addition, the salt that’s added to a water softener is sodium chloride(NaCl). During the softening process, only the sodium ion is exchanged into the water, whereas chloride ions are removed when the softener is regenerated. Therefore, softened water does not actu-ally contain corrosive salt.

Many experts we’ve spoken to insist that the use of purified water, however, is indeed preferred to prevent the possibility of other forms of contamination.

One thing for sure, soft water lacks the impurities of tap water. According to some of the Kool-It literature, softened water, when used as a coolant, will not act as an electrolyte, thereby minimizing damage from electrolysis. Nor will it form antifreeze gels and scales/deposits, thus reducing the possibility of over-heating. However, it should be noted that regardless of whether tap water, distilled, or softened water is used, the folks at LubeGard claim that Kool-It prevents these types of damage anyway.

It’s clear that additives can be helpful in maintaining cooling systems by reducing harmful cavitation and foaming, aiding the transmission of heat from the coolant to the radiator, and preventing corrosion. In many cases, choosing a product comes down to opinion, but it’s clear that ILI has entered the market with a product that offers some unique solu-tions to demands of the modern cooling system.

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ASTM D2809(Min. rating of 8 to pass)

NANA

Lead(Solder)

6540

2534

Contains polysiloxane polymer (silicone) that drops out of solution to form slimes?

Lead(Solder)

LUBEGARD

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