Windshield washer fluid

Solvents account for 8% of methanol demand and include process uses such as extracting, washing, drying and crystallizing. Miscellaneous uses of methanol include the production of glycol methyl ethers, methyl acrylate and methyl acetate. Other uses include antifreeze, gasoline deicer, windshield washer fluid and hydrate inhibition in natural gas. 

Many covalent compounds do not have negative and positive charges to attract water molecules. Thus they are not soluble in water. There are some exceptions, however. Methanol (a component of windshield washer fluid), ethanol (the alcohol in alcoholic beverages), and sugars (such as sucrose) are examples of covalent compounds that are extremely soluble in water. These compounds dissolve because their molecules contain polar bonds, which are able to form hydrogen bonds with water. 

I m sure you ve heard the recent national news reports concerning the failure of windshield washer fluid to effectively clean car windshields in six states. The problem has been traced to windshield washer fluid manufactured last month by the DO-IT-ALL FLUIDS company in Butterfly City, AZ. It seems the Federal Fluids Board (FFB) believes that the DO-IT-ALL company is deliberately diluting their windshield washer fluid with water so as to increase their profits. The company, needless to say, is very upset over the allegations and wants to clear their name in this matter. They have called upon I.O.N.S. for help. 

We have signed a contract to analyze samples of DO-IT-ALL windshield washer fluid manufactured over a 10-day period last month at its plant in Butterfly City. The 10 samples were obtained under the supervision of a representative of the FFB (to avoid possible allegations that the samples are bogus) and they arrived in our labs today. 

I understand you have acquired certified samples of the windshield washer fluid in your lab representing the work at DO-IT-ALL FLUIDS over a 10-day period last month. You also have the SOP and certified control charting information relating to the specific gravity of their samples. I think you have all that you need to solve the case. 

I would suggest that you measure the specific gravity of each of the samples and plot the control chart for this 10-day period. This will give you a visual picture of the measurements and enable you to clearly see if the samples are within the control limits for their process. The specific gravity of methanol, the main ingredient in windshield washer fluid, is very different from that of distilled water (which the FFB says is the contaminant) and, so, if water contamination is the problem, it should show up. I would also suggest that you run a control sample from a competitor whose reputation has not been called into question. 

The measurement of specific gravity to check the quality of the windshield washer fluid should work very well, since even a little bit of water contamination will be noticeable. The SOP from DO-IT-ALL suggests using a pycnometer and a balance that measures mass to at least the second decimal place (the nearest hundredth of a gram). 

What should you do if windshield washer fluid gets on your skin at home ... 

Windshield washer fluid samples held in 10 separate bottles labeled Day 1, Day 2, etc. (One or more of the above samples may be purposely contaminated with water. One gallon of fluid will provide 10 samples of 375 mL each.)... 

The instructor should purchase the windshield washer fluid to be used and then, in advance, carefully measure its specific gravity as will the students. This value can be used as the desirable value in the control chart. The warning limits can be set at 0.002 and the action limits at 0.003 and the students told that the resulting control chart is what the fluids company has been using. The students then create a control chart, chart their data, and interpret the results. 

HartopoU P art Chem. Ltd.] Polyoxy-alkylene glycol dispersant demulsifier, emulsifier, rinse aid, defoamer for windshield washer fluids, emulsion polymerization, industrial formulations, household prods. 

Oregon was the first state in the United States to require the addition of Bitrex to antifreeze and car windshield washer fluid. The requirement was instituted to prevent people from drinking such products accidentally or, in the case of alcoholics, intentionally. 

Windshield washer fluid is a 40-to-60-percent mix of methanol and water. It contains a little detergent to remove dirt, and... 

Until about 1930, Boyle s methanol-making method remained in use. Today, it is made from synthesis gas. When steam reacts with coal, oil, or natural gas, it forms a mix of hydrogen and carbon monoxide. This mixture is known as syngas, and it can be reacted with a zinc-oxide/chromium-oxide catalyst to make methanol. Methanol is used as a gasohne additive (it makes the gas b um better), as an industrial solvent, and, of course, as an ingredient in windshield washer fluid. 

In a pinch, you can also use a homogeneous mixture of water and ethanol as windshield washer fluid — just fill the container in your car with vodka. 

D. Faulkner, Environmental Stress Cracking of Polycarbonate and a Polycarbonate Acrylic Blend by Windshield Washer Fluids. SAE Technical Paper 851628 (1985). doi 10.4271/851628... 

LCA for the end-of-Ufe was used for seven plastic components that are commonly used in automotive applications. The parts included the bumper cover made from polypropylene (PP), windshield washer fluid container made from polyethylene (PE), air-intake manifold made from 30% glass-filled nylon, air duct made from 20% talk-filled PP, seat cushion made from polyurethane foam, head lamp lenses made from polycarbonate, and mirror housing made from acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (Jenseit et al. 2003). 

The reaction shown is an oversimplification and items such as shifting the equilibrium toward methanol, catalyst poisoning, and pressure/temperature tradeoffs need to be considered and are the subject of a text [3]. Methanol has many uses as a solvent and is the major component of windshield washer fluid. However, most methanol is converted to other commodity chemicals such as acetic acid, formaldehyde, or dimethyl terephthalate. It can also be used directly as a fuel additive, as a component in the synthesis of biodiesel or converted to dimethyl ether or methyl-t-butyl ether (MTBE), two fuel additives. 

Methanol is used as a solvent in automobile windshield washer fluid and as a cosolvent in various formulations for paint and varnish removers. It is also used as a process solvent in chemical processes for extraction, washing, crystallization, and precipitation. For example, methanol is used as an "antisolvent" for precipitation of polyphenylene oxide after its polymerization. It should be pointed out here that there have been active studies in using the extracts of agricultural plants in medicine. Methanol is often used for the extraction. Methanol extracts of some plants show antibacterial activities [4045]. This provides a potential use of methanol in traditional medicine. 

One of the most substantial uses for methanol as a solvent is in automobile windshield washer fluid. The major function of the fluid is for ice and insect removal. It usually contains 1050% of methanol in water, depending upon the temperature in the area. However, beeause of the mild winters for the past few years in the United States, the lar st single market globally, the demand for windshield washer fluid has been reduced. 

Products such as laundry detergents, windshield washer fluids, and fertilizers that are... 

Methanol (methyl alcohol), CH3—OH, is a highly toxic alcohol present in prodncts snch as windshield washer fluid, Stemo, and paint strippers. Methanol is rapidly absorbed in the gastrointestinal tract. In the Uver, it is oxidized to formaldehyde and then formic acid, a substance that causes nausea, severe abdominal pain, and blurred vision. Blindness can occur because the intermediate products destroy the retina of the eye. As little as 4 mL of methanol can produce blindness. The formic acid, which is not readily eliminated liom... 

Uses Low foaming surfactant for rinse aids and windshield washer fluids Properties Liq. cloud pt, 23-26 C (1% aq.) 100% act. 

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