Historic antifreeze

Jane Hamill <j.hamill [at] scott__aq> writes

>I am working on a container of unidentified liquid, with a label 'a
>little of this amongst the water helps to prevent freezing', from
>Shackleton's hut at Cape Royds (1907-1909 expedition) in Antarctica.
>I have been unable to find any solid information by Internet search
>on historic antifreeze. I think it is ethylene glycol, but have no
>way to check. I'd like to be able to positively identify the
>contents and was wondering if anyone has information on what was
>used as antifreeze at this time and if it is possible to identify it
>without access to sophisticated testing equipment or materials?

Alcohol can also be used as an antifreeze, as well as salt. Salts
would probably be used in the solid form, so it is unlikely to be
that. Alcohol has a low viscosity, whereas ethylene glycol would be
more viscous, so you could look at that, but it wouldn't be fully
diagnostic. Refractive index could tell you what liquid or solution
is present, but you'd need a refractometer to measure it (small,
hand held mechanical device, easy to use, just put a drop of the
liquid on the optics), and some means of looking up refractive
indexes. You're not likely to have a refractometer in Antarctica,
but who knows, maybe one of the other scientist there has one.

Valerie Tomlinson
Conservator
Auckland Museum
Tamaki Paenga Hira
The Domain
Private Bag 92018
Auckland 1142, New Zealand
+64 9 306 7068


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 24:49
                 Distributed: Wednesday, April 27, 2011
                       Message Id: cdl-24-49-003
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