Cooling liquid is a medium for dissipating heat. It plays an important role in vehicle engines because it dissipates the heat of combustion and thus prevents overheating.

The usual cooling liquid for vehicle engines consists of a mixture of monoethylene glycol, water and some additives. The glycol content lowers the freezing point – the higher the content, the lower the freezing point. This prevents the engine from freezing at temperatures below zero. The additives mentioned above include rust inhibitors and anti-foaming agents.

Cooling fluid does not last indefinitely. After some time, and especially at high operating temperatures, it loses its essential properties and must therefore be changed regularly.

Glycol/water-based liquids are also used in industry for heating and cooling circuits or simply as antifreeze. De-icers, such as those used for aircraft, are also based on this.

Used cooling liquid contains, among other things, heavy metal particles, traces of engine oils and other residues. Therefore, under no circumstances should it simply end up in our environment. For the professional who comes into contact with this agent every day, this is nothing new. ENTEK has been taking care of the environmentally friendly disposal of these fluids for you for many years. The glycol from used cooling liquids is in fact a basic material that can be recovered. By means of distillation and the addition of new additives, it is turned back into concentrate for new products.

The usable material is stored in tanks and separated from other substances by means of distillation. The resulting residues are recycled and disposed of in accordance with legal regulations. The glycol is filtered and the last impurities are removed, resulting in a base material of very high purity. The recovered product is a glycol that is very suitable for the production of antifreeze or coolant, for example. This process not only protects the environment, but also produces valuable raw materials.

Resources potential Cooling liquid

Product receivers SDK:
Entek GmbH & Co. KG
www.entek.de

see also in the Product Dictionary Used oils, greases and emulsions

Mineral oils and fats are substances that are hazardous to water and also damage the soil and the associated plants and animals. If they get into the groundwater, they can make it undrinkable. Oil should therefore be stored and handled in such a way as to prevent leakage and thus contamination of water and soil. The same precautions should also be taken with accumulating oil-contaminated products such as oil and diesel filters, oil-contaminated rags, empty oil cans and containers or contaminated oil binders.

These do not belong in the residual waste, nor may they be incinerated. Improper burning of mineral oils releases toxins that damage the environment and contribute to climate change.

All mobile and stationary collection points of SDK (service centres and resources center) accept the products and recycle them or dispose of them in an environmentally friendly manner.

What happens to waste oils and oil-contaminated substances ?

Oil and diesel filters are shredded, whereby the oil they contain is collected and sent for recycling. The metal is then separated and, after cleaning, sent to the metal recycling plant. The rest is used as fuel with a high heating value, as are oil-contaminated rags, used binding agents, etc., of course in plants that have the necessary filters.

Avoidance tips

Only carry out oil changes and similar work if you have a maintenance workshop with the necessary prerequisites (dense floor, no direct access to the sewerage system). Keep a suitable oil binding agent (such as Oeko-PUR) on hand for safety.

If you do not have suitable conditions for clean and safe work, we recommend having the oil change carried out by a service facility with the SDK label. The label guarantees environmentally conscious work and proper and ecological handling of used products and resources.

Resources potential Used oils

Resources potential Oil and Diesel-fuel filters

Product receivers SDK:
Oilco S.A. – RD Recycling, B-Houthalen-Helchteren
www.oilco.be