You are a chemical developer for a major automotive parts supplier that develops

Question

You are a chemical developer for a major automotive parts supplier that develops antifreeze designed specifically for their vehicles. Antifreeze lowers the freezing point of water relative to pure water. This is an example of the colligative property of freezing point depression. In the presence of antifreeze, the freezing point of water – which serves as a coolant in internal combustion engines – will be lowered, thus preventing potentially catastrophic damage to the engine that would otherwise occur upon expansion of water due to freezing.

Despite its name, anti-freeze also plays an important role in keeping your engine working during the summer months: the anti-freeze also acts to elevate the boiling point of the water so that it doesn’t start to boil on really hot days. Your boss is considering using a calcium chloride solution as anti-freeze and wants you to study the impact of the new anti-freeze on boiling.

Q1) You are convinced that your calcium chloride solution will keep the water liquid at extreme temperatures. However, your boss is also concerned about the interaction of the solution with the metal of the engine. Look up the Stability and Reactivity section of the calcium chloride SDS. Does your boss need to worry about calcium chloride harming the engine? Write down the exact phrasing that supports your response.

Q2) After some more research, you realize most ionic solutions might harm the metal in the engine and look into water-soluble molecules. Will the water-soluble molecules be as effective per mole at elevating the boiling point as the calcium chloride solution?  Hint: Think about all parts of the relevant equation. What has changed?

Please help

Thank you

Explanation / Answer

Q1) Yes the concern of the boss is valid.

The Stability and Reactivity section of the calcium chloride mentions that it is stable under ordinary conditions. However, when heated it may decompose to produce toxic chlorine fumes. It might also form hydrogen chloride in the presence of sulphuric or phosphoric acids. Further, it is incompatible with methyl vinyl ether, water, zinc, bromine trifluoride, mixtures of lime and boric acid, barium chloride, and 2-furan percarboxylic acid.

The interaction of the solution with the metal of the engine will corrode in aqueous calcium chloride solution. Hence, calcium chloride solution should not be used as an anti-freeze for vehicles.

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