|
<br />44 Estimating Economic Impacts of Salinity...
<br />
<br />. No one volunteered, at this time, to run
<br />corrosion tests on Engine Coolants with
<br />these higher levels of salinity.
<br />
<br />N
<br />-.J
<br />N
<br />....
<br />
<br />Mr. Roy E. Beal, Chairman of the ASTM
<br />Committee D-15, commented:32
<br />
<br />As noted by Chrysler, the most aggressive ion
<br />is chloride in overall corrosion, particularly
<br />with solder and aluminum. Oxidizing ions
<br />such as nitrates cause problems with copper al-
<br />loys under stress. High total solids cause
<br />reduction in the overall life of pumps and
<br />leads to tube blockage in radiators and conse-
<br />quent overheating type failure.
<br />
<br />Generally, more salt content will reduce the ef-
<br />fectiveness of the balanced inhibitor package
<br />in the coolant, so increased damage can be ex-
<br />pected. The main difficulty is that no
<br />knowledge is available, at least publicly, on
<br />just how much can be tolerated. We would
<br />slightly disagree with Chrysler in that we know
<br />100 ppm [chloride] or above is too much and
<br />causes premature cooling system failure.
<br />
<br />Increased aggressiveness of a water by salt
<br />content does not cause a linear increase in cor-
<br />rosion, it would tend to accelerate it if not
<br />counteracted. Your letter raised two ques-
<br />tions, that are: what does the effect of high
<br />salt water level have now, and what will the
<br />future levels of high salt level do. We do not
<br />know, but can reasonably expect at least a
<br />10% increase in overheating or corrosion
<br />failure.
<br />
<br />Considerable assistance in scoping the
<br />economic consequences of salinity damages to
<br />cooling systems was provided by Mr. Charles W.
<br />Mackenzie, Editor and Publisher of Radiator
<br />Reporter and Pricing Guide, an authoritative trade
<br />journal. Mr. Mackenzie wrote:33
<br />
<br />In the matter of the effect of Colorado River
<br />water on radiators, we know that there are
<br />twice as many radiator repair shops in the
<br />southwest per 100,000 vehicles as in, for
<br />instance, Minnesota, presumably due to more
<br />
<br />32Personal communication, November 7,1986.
<br />33personaJ communication, October 3, 1986.
<br />
<br />available work. However the Southwest
<br />also has higher temperatures, it is heat plus
<br />bad water that makes business for radiator
<br />repair shops, assuming equal owner neglect in
<br />all areas.
<br />
<br />In the matter of costs to the consumer, I
<br />enclose a copy of our long-continuing pricing
<br />studies. Retail is the price to the car owner,
<br />wholesale is the price to a car dealer. garage,
<br />or gas station. A clean and repair is boiling
<br />out in a caustic, Of cleaning in an ultrasonic
<br />tank, and the repair of all leaks as deter-
<br />mined by tests, plus renewal, repair, and
<br />repainting all around. A recore is the replace-
<br />ment of the tube fin nest, salvaging tanks,
<br />oil coolers, side pieces, and other parts.
<br />
<br />sixty-two percent of all radiator shop job tick-
<br />ets are for the less expensive clean and repair
<br />operation. 24% are recores, the balance com-
<br />plete replacements. However, these figures
<br />apply only to the conventional coppcr/hrass
<br />radiators.
<br />
<br />Presently, more than half of car production
<br />uses an aluminum, rather than copper/hrass
<br />core. For reasons too broad to get into at this
<br />time the aluminum core is almost never
<br />repairable and the cheaper repair will simply
<br />not apply. Chlorides in water hurry this
<br />aluminum corrosion process.
<br />
<br />Precise data are not available on the volume
<br />or frequency of radiator repair in the south-
<br />western U.S. compared with less saline areas.
<br />Using the available data, plus inference, the as-
<br />sumption is made that 70 percent of automobiles
<br />( and trucks) in areas having salinity of 300 to 500
<br />mgiL will. face some radiator repair or replace-
<br />ment during the automobile's life, compared with
<br />35 percent of automobiles in areas where salinity
<br />is 200 mgiL TDS or less. The percentage of
<br />vehicles requiring radiator service during their
<br />lifetime is assumed to rise to 90 percent at
<br />salinity levels of 800 mgiL or higher. Radiator
<br />Reporter notes that more than 70 percent of all
<br />radiator jobs occur in the fourth to ninth year of
<br />the car's life. Thus, the authors assume a
<br />frequency of (4 + 9) / 2 = 6.5 years for radiator
<br />repair or replacement at TDS levels of 200-300
<br />mgiL. The frequency is assumed to increase at
<br />
|