Ethylene Glycol in Motor Oil

[MolaKule]

An astute member here noticed that the 2014 MSDS for Pennzoil Ultra contained Ethylene Glycol as one of it's components.

An MSDS only reports potential health hazards and is not a complete list of all of the components of a total formulation.


Ethylene Glycol is an ethoxylated alcohol and is classified functionally as a Diol.

An ethyoxylated alcohol is produced by taking an alcohol and processing it with ethylene oxide.

So what would be its function in a motor oil?

Ethylene Glycol can serve as a surfactant (cleaner, solvent), and as a moisture scavenger.

Thermodynamically speaking, Ethylene Glycol can slightly improve the heat transfer of an oil as well.

 

[Nickdfresh]

Interesting, thank you...

 

[AKhan87]

Nice

Can't wait till people start doing their own blends with Anti-Freeze

 

[HerrStig]

Originally Posted By: MolaKule
An astute member here noticed that the 2014 MSDS for Pennzoil Ultra contained Ethylene Glycol as one of it's components.

An MSDS only reports potential health hazards and is not a complete list of all of the components of a total formulation.


Ethylene Glycol is an ethoxylated alcohol and is classified functionally as a Diol.

An ethyoxylated alcohol is produced by taking an alcohol and processing it with ethylene oxide.

So what would be its function in a motor oil?

Ethylene Glycol can serve as a surfactant (cleaner, solvent), and as a moisture scavenger.

Thermodynamically speaking, Ethylene Glycol can slightly improve the heat transfer of an oil as well. So, the question will be ...Is it a coolant leak or a motor oil blend on the UOA?

So when it turns up in a UOA will it be OIL, or headgasket?

 

[Danno]

Originally Posted By: 01_celica_gt
Nice

Can't wait till people start doing their own blends with Anti-Freeze


Happens already when head gaskets fail.

 

[Pontual]

Just out of curiosity, Ethylene Glycol Monomethyl Ether (EGME) is also used in flight icing conditions for fuel moisture scavenger. It is only barely soluble in gasoline, but has high affinity to water. At low temperatures, when water droplets separate from fuel, EGME leaves the fuel to preferentially dissolve in the water, depressing its freezing point. As said by Molakule, it's a detergent agent, so antifreeze acts over the piston crowns, cleaning the carbon over it. That's why a leaking HG leaves spotless pistons heads. Looks like the same results from ethanol combined with a light Polyetheramine, like Teta.

 

[Oldmoparguy1]

back in the early 60's we tried adding small amounts of Ethylene Glycol to our model airplane racing fuel. Our basic formula was 75% Nitromethane, 20% 50 weight synthetic motorcycle oil, and 5% Propylene oxide. All USP quality. As you can imagine, this stuff was very weather sensitive. 1% Ethylene Glycol seemed to help when the humidity was high.

 

[OneEyeJack]

Is ethylene glycol listed because it's a byproduct of ethylene oxide used in an intermediate process?

If so does this mean that this oil contains an ester created during the processing?

Would the resulting ethylene glycol then become part of a detergent package?

 

[Pontual]

Expensive! No methanol?

 

[Shannow]

Similar function to

Glycol Ether 111-76-2 5-15

in Kreen ?

 

[Pontual]

Probably. I didn't know that kreen has it, anyways, sounds like a cleaner aid.

 

[Pontual]

Originally Posted By: OneEyeJack
Is ethylene glycol listed because it's a byproduct of ethylene oxide used in an intermediate process?

[/B]If so does this mean that this oil contains an ester created during the processing?[/B]

Would the resulting ethylene glycol then become part of a detergent package?


An "Ethyl" (ethylene) yes, but Ester like Group V, no, since there is no acids combined with alcohol in ethoxylation process that I know of.

I think Molakule is having a good time with my posts ...

 

[MolaKule]

Originally Posted By: OneEyeJack
Is ethylene glycol listed because it's a byproduct of ethylene oxide used in an intermediate process?


No, it is simply ethylene glycol.

Originally Posted By: OneEyeJack
If so does this mean that this oil contains an ester created during the processing?


No ester, just ethylene glycol.

Quote:
Would the resulting ethylene glycol then become part of a detergent package?


It would be considered a detergent but not part of the conventional calcium sulfonate or calcium salicylate detergent package.

I would consider the ethylene glycol as a "secondary" detergent with the calcium detergent package as primary.