Antifreeze - Coolant Recycling

We often associate antifreeze with motor vehicles, but it can also be used in HVAC systems, refrigerators, central air conditioners, and portable air conditioners. It essentially acts as a temperature control fluid for all of these devices.

The unfortunate truth of antifreeze is that it does contain some harsh chemicals, which makes its disposal something of a tricky proposition. You may need help removing antifreeze and recycling it safely.  

Antifreeze / Coolant Recycling in Cheyenne, WY and AZ, CO, ID, OK, MT, NE, NM, NV, TX, UT, ND, and SD.

Tri State Oil Reclaimers, Inc. is a Cheyenne, Wyoming-based company serving clients throughout the USA in Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, and South Dakota, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming.

We service antifreeze and oil recycling to such companies as construction businesses, dealerships (including farm equipment and tractor dealerships), car rental providers, compressor stations, agriculture businesses such as big feedlots, airports, school bus garages, tune or repair shops, full-service gas stations, tire shops, and any companies owning a fleet of vehicles including city, county, or government agencies.

Looking for Recycled Antifreeze Facilities? Tri State Oil Reclaimers Inc. helps companies of all sizes that need to dispose of antifreeze/coolant. Contact us at (307) 635-5332 for a quote today.

What is Antifreeze?

Antifreeze or coolant is a water-based additive that lowers the freezing point of water in an engine and helps prevent boiling in high temperatures. It comes in a variety of colors, with inorganic acid technology (IAT) is the green liquid that original equipment manufacturers commonly use, organic acid technology (OAT) is orange or yellow (and commonly referred to as Dex-Cool in many vehicles), and hybrid organic acid technology (HOAT) os usually yellow but also comes in other colors such as green, pink, blue, red, or orange.

IAT is ethylene glycol whereas OAT is made from propylene glycol, and the difference is that ethylene glycol is toxic when ingested while the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved propylene glycol as being “generally recognized as safe” (GRAS), which means it can be used as a food additive. The color generally does not matter for recycling purposes because the color is only a dye.

How is Antifreeze Disposed or Recycled?

Automobile manufacturers typically recommend changing antifreeze every 30,000 to 60,000 miles, although this can vary depending on the type of vehicle involved. Testing, disposing of, and changing it will require following these steps:

• Test your antifreeze fluid levels and quality 

This will determine if your antifreeze needs to be emptied and changed. It is located in the radiator and you should park your car on a level surface to let the engine completely cool. You then unscrew the radiator cap and look inside to ensure that the fluid reaches the top of the radiator or the “full” mark. Even when there is enough antifreeze in the radiator, you still want to test it to determine if it needs to be changed. You can check the quality with a coolant tester (often available at Walmart) that often has instructions for interpreting results. You simply stick the hose into your antifreeze, squeeze the bulb to withdraw liquid, and then read the gauge.

• Contact Tri State Oil Reclaimers, Inc. 

The Department of Waste Management website for your state should list guidelines and centers for recycling or disposing of antifreeze. When it is tainted with oil or gas, it will be considered contaminated and cannot be recycled. Tri State Oil Reclaimers, Inc. will be able to advise you on the next steps to take.

• Drain radiator of antifreeze

Make sure to use safety equipment like goggles, a mask, and gloves when draining your radiator and replacing antifreeze. Disconnect the battery before draining your radiator so no electrical damage happens. You place a drain pan under your drain valve and open the valve with pliers before letting it drain into the pan completely before you tighten the valve again. Then transfer the old antifreeze into some kind of sealable plastic container. 

• Clean up 

Keeping in mind that antifreeze is a toxic chemical, it is important to absorb all spilled liquid as soon as possible. You can use baking soda, sand, or kitty litter to soak up the fluid and then cover the whole area with paper towels before letting them sit for an hour or two. Paper towels used to collect spilled antifreeze can be thrown into a garbage bag and placed in your normal trash can.

• Safely secure and transport sealed bottles 

You want to transport any old antifreeze in sealed, plastic containers that are well secured on the floor of your back seat or trunk. You may even use a cable to keep containers in place when necessary. Also, consider labeling each container with the date you changed the antifreeze. Tri State Oil Reclaimers, Inc. can pick it up for you in many cases.

When it comes to recycling antifreeze, the focus will be on removing heavy metals and oils in the used liquid. There are different methods of recycling that can be used.

Vacuum distillation is a very common way to recycle antifreeze. The vacuum distillation system requires minimal operator involvement, and once the unit is filled with waste coolant and started, it can operate virtually unattended until the process is complete. 

The normal sequence of operation for a vacuum distillation waste coolant run involves the fill/drain hose being inserted into a 55-gallon waste coolant drum. A fill switch on the unit starts a vacuum pump. 

A vacuum will be formed in the process tank and the fill valve will open to draw in the waste coolant. After emptying the drum, the operator will switch the fill off. 

A sensor will prevent over 55 gallons from entering a process tank. The start switch is then depressed and heat is applied to bring the waste coolant to a boil inside the distillation tank. 

A water-rich vapor will form because of water’s lower boiling point, and it passes through a heat exchanger where the vapor will be turned into a clean water stream capable of being reused to make new coolant or drained. The distilled water gravity will then drain into the processed water receiving drum. 

After most of the water has been processed, the temperature inside the process tank begins to rise. When the temperature reaches 280 degrees Fahrenheit, a switch closes, energizing the vacuum pump and the divert solenoid valve. 

The upper heaters then de-energize and remain off for the remainder of the cycle. The glycol is vaporized under a vacuum and the distilled glycol gravity drains into the processed glycol receiving drum. 

The unit automatically terminates the process when the liquid in the process tank reaches a low level. The low-level sensor de-activates the process on/off switch, shutting the unit off. 

Once the cycle is complete, residue will be drained into a residue collection drum. A fill/drain hose will be placed into the drum, a valve is opened, and the drain assist switch will be pressed and held until all residues stop flowing. 

After this process is complete, recycled coolant may be mixed with processed water to get the desired freeze or boil protection and inhibited with a premium inhibitor to restore the glycol to a like-new condition.

Another method of recycling antifreeze is with an ion exchange process. Ion exchange involves a reversible interchange of charged particles, or ions, with those of like charge. 

Charged ions will bond with ions of an opposing charge, and are delivered through the application of a counterion solution. The counterions continue to bond with the functional groups until equilibrium is reached.

During a traditional cycle, the antifreeze to be treated is added to the ion exchange resin bed and allowed to flow through beads. As it moves through, functional groups of the resin attract any counterions present in the solution.  

If functional groups have a greater affinity for the new counterions than the ones already present, then the ions in the solution dislodge the existing ions and take their place, bonding with the functional groups through shared electrostatic attraction. Simply put, the greater the size of an ion, the more affinity it will have with ions of an opposite charge.

It is illegal to dump any antifreeze down drains, into toilets, or into a sewer. When it is recycled, it is just as usable as any new bottle of antifreeze.