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?

Whilst working on a site in a church in the Carrara mountains
(Tuscany) I found a bottle with anti freeze dating 1910. My
impression was that the bottle contained glycerin mixed with salt. I
am certain about the salt because we heated some of the liquid and
chloride slats were all that remained in the container once the
liquid had evaporated.

Daniela Murphy Corella
Florence, Italy


                                  ***
                  Conservation DistList Instance 24:50
                    Distributed: Monday, May 2, 2011
                       Message Id: cdl-24-50-003
                                  ***