something other then antifreeze?

[cosworth34677]

ok i've looked but i didn't find a thread with a list of types of oil people use.
im looking for something else to use other then antifreeze as a hydraulic fluid.
i was thinking maybe brake fluid, power steering fluid. i don't like to mess with anti freeze it will do bad things to you after a while. and i got kids around. im not saying there going to grab the jug and drink it but my nephew is always around when im working on my trucks and tractors, and his hand stay in him mouth if you know what i mean. any help would be great thanks

[rockNmayhem]

You have a pm for suggestion.

Tyler

[FlyingBeagle]

Cosworth,
I posted this same response to your reply in another thread, but I wanted to make sure you saw it.

Dont hold me to this, you should DOUBLE CHECK THE LABEL on the product you are purchasing. If it is the same product I am thinking of, the pink RV antifreeze is non toxic. It is used for winterizing RVs to keep the potable water lines and water heater from sustaining freeze damage during winter storage. I run this same stuff through my boat engine when I put it in storage for the winter. The kind I buy clearly states it is non toxic. I use it so I dont take a chance of killing any of my dogs I hope this helps as I saw your other post and your concerns about young children and animals are very valid as the bad kind tastes pretty darn good (dont ask me how I know). My wife is a Veterinarian and I have seen first hand an animal dying of antifreeze toxicity and it is a horrible sight. Just read the packaging clearly.

[cosworth34677]

thanx guys i got in the car and ran up to the wally world and got some rv anti freeze. it seem to make the excavator runn better and little stronger. it also says its non toxic and safe to run into the water tanks of a rv and boats

[fhhhstix]

Just to clear some things up here the new automotive antifreeze and RV antifreeze contain the same ingredient propylene glycol which is non toxic. It is the older automotive and RV antifreeze made from ethylene glycol that are toxic. I would recommend using the automotive antifreeze over the RV due to the lack of lubricity properties in the RV that are added to the automotive antifreeze.

Primary agents

Most antifreeze is made by mixing distilled water with some kind of alcohol.

Methanol

Methanol (also known as methyl alcohol, carbinol, wood alcohol, wood naphtha or wood spirits) is a chemical compound with chemical formula CH3OH. It is the simplest alcohol, and is a light, volatile, colorless, flammable, poisonous liquid with a distinctive odor that is somewhat milder and sweeter than ethanol (ethyl alcohol). At room temperature, it is a polar solvent and is used as an antifreeze, solvent, fuel, and as a denaturant for ethyl alcohol. It is not popular for machinery, but may be found in automotive windshield washer fluid, de-icers, and gasoline additives.

Ethylene glycol

Ethylene glycol solutions became available in 1926 and were marketed as "permanent antifreeze" since the higher boiling points provided advantages for summertime use as well as during cold weather. They are used today for a variety of applications, including automobiles, but gradually being replaced by propylene glycol due to its lower toxicity.

Poisoning

Ethylene glycol poisoning

Ethylene glycol is poisonous to humans and other animals, and should be handled carefully and disposed of properly. Its sweet taste can lead to accidental ingestion or allow its deliberate use as a murder weapon. Ethylene glycol is difficult to detect in the body, and causes symptoms—including intoxication, severe diarrhea, and vomiting—that can be confused with other illnesses or diseases. Its metabolism produces calcium oxalate, which crystallizes in the brain, heart, lungs, and kidneys, damaging them; depending on the level of exposure, accumulation of the poison in the body can last weeks or months before causing death, but death by acute kidney failure can result within 72 hours if the individual does not receive appropriate medical treatment for the poisoning. Some ethylene glycol antifreeze mixtures contain an embittering agent, such as denatonium, to discourage accidental or deliberate consumption.

Propylene glycol

Propylene glycol, on the other hand, is considerably less toxic than ethylene glycol and may be labeled as "non-toxic antifreeze". It is used as antifreeze where ethylene glycol would be inappropriate, such as in food-processing systems or in water pipes in homes where incidental ingestion may be possible. As confirmation of its relative non-toxicity, the FDA allows propylene glycol to be added to a large number of processed foods, including ice cream, frozen custard, and baked goods.

Propylene glycol oxidizes when exposed to air and heat, forming lactic acid. If not properly inhibited, this fluid can be very corrosive, so pH buffering agents are often added to propylene glycol, to prevent acidic corrosion of metal components.

Besides cooling system corrosion, biological fouling also occurs. Once bacterial slime starts to grow, the corrosion rate of the system increases. Maintenance of systems using glycol solution includes regular monitoring of freeze protection, pH, specific gravity, inhibitor level, color, and biological contamination. Propylene glycol should be replaced when it turns a reddish color.

Glycerol

Once used for automotive antifreeze, glycerol has the advantage of being non-toxic, withstands relatively high temperatures, and is noncorrosive.

Like ethylene glycol and propylene glycol, glycerol is a non-ionic kosmotrope that forms strong hydrogen bonds with water molecules, competing with water-water hydrogen bonds. This disrupts the crystal lattice formation of ice unless the temperature is significantly lowered. The minimum freezing point temperature is at about −36 °F / −37.8 °C corresponding to 60–70% glycerol in water.[11]

Glycerol was historically used as an antifreeze for automotive applications before being replaced by ethylene glycol, which has a lower freezing point. While the minimum freezing point of a glycerol-water mixture is higher than an ethylene glycol-water mixture, glycerol is not toxic and is being reexamined for use in automotive applications.[12][13] Glycerol is mandated for use as an antifreeze in many sprinkler systems.

In the laboratory, glycerol is a common component of solvents for enzymatic reagents stored at temperatures below 0 °C due to the depression of the freezing temperature of solutions with high concentrations of glycerol. It is also used as a cryoprotectant where the glycerol is dissolved in water to reduce damage by ice crystals to laboratory organisms that are stored in frozen solutions, such as bacteria, nematodes, and mammalian embryos.