What is your heat transfer fluid wish list? Kevin Connor, technical service manager at Dow Chemical Co., Midland, Mich., has one ― or more accurately, a list he’s compiled from end-users who have expressed their preferences for fluid capabilities.

Earlier this year, Connor gave a presentation, “Dispelling the Myths of Heat Transfer Fluids,” at AHR in Chicago, that used the wish list as a jumping off point for his discussion. After calling plain water a “near perfect fluid” but one with drawbacks, such as freezing at 32°F (0°C), Connor presented his list of fluid wishes.
  • Effective freeze protection.
  • Freezing point below -40°F (-40°C).
  • Efficient heat transfer over broad temperature range.
  • 0 to 250°F (15 to 125°C).
  • No harmful effects (health, safety, environment).
  • Nontoxic, nonflammable, environmentally benign.
  • Noncorrosive and nondestructive to materials.
  • 20-plus years of fluid life.
  • Low cost.
  • Low power consumption, low capital cost, low maintenance.
To find out how Dow fulfills the wish list, go to Connor’s entire power-point presentation at www.dow.com/heattrans/pdfs/DispellingTheMyths.pdf.

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