Chemistry, Biology 101

Ethanol C2H5OH, dicarbon pentahydrogen hydroxide, The C2H5 portion is soluble in organic compound while the OH is soluble in water. (Ethanol is an effective disinfectant in that it strips the protective lipids of bacterial/fungi/alge.. and the cells literally disintegrates. Ethanol is also a drying agent and denatures proteins. It is at 70% ethanol that it has the highest disinfecting power. More than 18% ethnanol is required to stop any bacterial growth. Ethanol greater than 50% is easily flameable.) This property is where plastics/rubber are prone to disolve. The hidroxide portion of ethanol may react when exposed to certain organic compound. Therefore your water cooling setup will be free from living contaiminants. Absolute ethanol boiling point is 78.4 °C.
Ethanol has a heat capacity of 2.4 J/g K, while water has a capacity of 4.2 J/g K. Therefore water has a higher capacity to store heat energy, while alcohol has a higer ability to disipate heat. Same with aluminium and copper with the same weight.. Aluminium stores more heat energy than copper, but copper dissipates heat faster, one of the reasons while heatsink touching processors core are copper and heatsink fins are mostly aluminium.

Ethanol in water also reduces surface tension, therefore increases the capillary action of the watery liquid.

B.t.w viscosity of ethanol and water is so similiar that is plays very little role in the ability of the pump`s flow rate.

Effectiveness of liquid use for cooling is more of heat capasitance as mentioned. In a close system...

This post has been edited by BeastX: Oct 24 2006, 04:20 PM

1. Edited my statement ... the percentage I have given are examples.. Organic compounds (rubber/plactics) that are reactive with ethanol will react with ethanol no matter the amount used. Chemical reaction is based on 1. strenght of reaction of the compounds. 2. present of compounds.. decreasing one particular compound decrease chance of compounds in contact with each other that triggers reaction. Therefore chemical reaction may last days/months/years until an equilibrium is reached.

2. Heat transfer (fizik) has a direct correlation with heat capasitance (Energy needed to increase one Kelvin) of the liquid phase, vanderWaals energy, molecular vibration, molecular movement and so on. Boiling point is where the liquid has reach its maximum heat storage ability and additional heat is transfered to the phase change to gaseous molecules.

3. Pure H2O has a much higher corrosive ability than ethanol... It is the measurement of the ability of the H+, proton to disassociate from the molecule for reaction.

This post has been edited by BeastX: Oct 24 2006, 04:43 PM

SPM science, and a more complete/detailed formulas the (rare) STPM or A-levels. First/2nd year university.

Temperature of the liquid used depends on the propertiies of the liquid, flow rate of the pump, amount of liquid reservoir and efficiency of the radiator. The temperature of the liquid varies through the system. Given time (..stagnant liquid..) the temperature of the liquid will be the same as the copper heat exchanger.

This post has been edited by BeastX: Oct 25 2006, 06:07 PM

Unlike Fahrenheit, Celsius scales the same as Kelvin, making it easier to calculate and use.

This post has been edited by BeastX: Oct 28 2006, 01:20 PM