Methanol-free washer fluid?

[meborder]

Was just trying to stay on point.

Sorry you didn't see the same humor in it as I did.

 

[finmile]

I’m a bit surprised that you can’t buy ethanol based windshield washer fluids from the US. In Finland the situation is the opposite.

Because methanol is poisonous, it has to be kept in locked cabinets in stores. And as this is impractical, usually the store owners don’t want to sell methanol based washer fluids at all. Ethanol based washer fluids don't have this kind of restrictions.

I went to three different stores to look what the windshield washer fluid is made of, and the recipe seemed to be always the same:
- Denatured ethanol
- Either anionic surfactants or non-ionic surfactants < 5%
- Water

Typical washer fluid is made for temperatures down to -20C (-4F), but you can find versions for colder weather also.

 

[kschachn]

Originally Posted By: finmile
I went to three different stores to look what the windshield washer fluid is made of, and the recipe seemed to be always the same:
- Denatured ethanol
- Either anionic surfactants or non-ionic surfactants < 5%
- Water


What is the ethanol denatured with?

 

[meborder]

methanol is poisonous so it has to be kept under lock and key.

but ethanol, denatured by methanol, is also poisonous, but can be left out.


makes perfect sense to me.....

 

[finmile]

I don't see methanol listed as an allowed denaturing ingredient.

Slightly denatured ethanol (applies in Finland only)

Per every 100 liters of ethanol (of strength of the final product) one must use at least one of the following ingredients:

- Denaturant number 1: 0.2 kg of menthol
- Denaturant number 2: 0.2 kg of peppermint oil
- Denaturant number 3: 0.7 liters of turpentine
- Denaturant number 4: 2 liters of gasoline
- Denaturant number 5: 3 liters of ethyl acetate
- Denaturant number 6: 0.5 kg of diethyl phthalate
- Denaturant number 7: 3 liters of acetone
- Denaturant number 8: 5 liters of ethyl ether
- Denaturant number 9: 2 liters of methyl ethyl ketone
- Denaturant number 10: 2 liters of cyclohexane
- Denaturant number 11: 1 liter of acetone & 1 liter of methyl isobutyl ketone
- Denaturant number 12: 3 liters of tertiary butyl alcohol
- Denaturant number 13: 3 liters of normal butyl alcohol
- Denaturant number 14: 3 liters of isobutyl alcohol
- Denaturant number 15: 2 liters of methyl isobutyl ketone
- Denaturant number 16: 2 grams of denatonium benzoate
- Valvira (the Supervisory Authority for Welfare and Health) may for special reasons accept also some other denaturant, if none of the above denaturants are suitable for this purpose

Highly denatured ethanol (applies in whole EU)

Denaturation accepted by all Member States of the European Union. Per every 100 liters of 100% ethanol one must use:

- 3 liters of isopropyl alcohol
- 3 liters of methyl ethyl ketone (MEK),
- 1 gram denatonium benzoate

I didn't find the information on what's the difference between slightly and highly denatured ethanol, i.e. to which category the windshield washer fluid goes to.

Link to the source of information (through Google translate)