Is what is in Antifreeze the same as they call wood alchole
What is antifreeze made of - Ratios
At what point does it start to thicken and freeze.
keep in mind the last scince class I had was in the 10th grade -- Thanks Much

Although wood alcohol (methanol) can be used as an antifreeze, most
antifreeze products designed for automobiles are a solution of
ethylene glycol and water. The typical full-strength auto antifreeze
product is 95% ethylene glycol and 5% water (a ratio of 19 to 1). It
is designed to be diluted when placed into the automobile's radiator.

"Antifreeze is a mixture of ethylene glycol and water.  It actually performs 
two functions in an automobile.  It depresses the freezing temperature of 
water and it elevates the boiling point of water so that your car's cooling 
system can operate over a wider temperature range."

MadSci Network: Physics
http://www.madsci.org/posts/archives/dec2001/1008690367.Ph.r.html

"Glycol is the main ingredient used in all forms of antifreeze. Modern
engines use a mixture of glycol and water as a coolant... Most
antifreeze uses ethylene glycol, C2H6O2, but propylene glycol, C3H8O2,
products are becoming more common. Ethylene glycol is less expensive
to produce. Propylene glycol is less toxic."

EET Corporation: Antifreeze Facts 
http://www.eetcorp.com/antifreeze/antifreeze-about.htm

"Ethylene glycol is the most widely used automotive cooling-system
antifreeze, although methanol, ethanol, isopropyl alcohol, and
propylene glycol are also used. In automotive windshield-washer
fluids, an alcohol (e.g., methanol) is usually added to keep the
mixture from freezing; it also acts as a solvent to help clean the
glass."

US Environmental Protective Agency: Antifreeze
http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/non-hw/muncpl/antifree.htm

"Most brands of commercial antifreeze consist of 95 percent ethylene
glycol, an extremely toxic chemical."

Columbia Animal Hospital: Antifreeze Poisoning
http://www.cah.com/library/antifreeze.html

"Nemco Universal Antifreeze & Coolant...
 Total Water   5% Max 
 Total Glycol 95% Min"

NEMCO: Product Data Sheet 
http://www.nemco.mb.ca/pdUN_antifreeze.html

Regarding the freezing point, the article linked below has a useful
graph which shows the freezing point of ethylene glycol at different
percentages. Pure antifreeze (95% ethylene glycol), right out of the
bottle, freezes at around -4°F. Diluted antifreeze is more effective,
and a solution of 60% ethylene glycol and 40% water can withstand a
temperature of -60F before slushing and freezing.

"Ethylene glycol, the principal component of most antifreezes, freezes
at 8 degrees above zero, Fahrenheit. It is only when water is added
that the freezing point is depressed. The freezing point of an
ethylene glycol and water mixture drops rapidly as the concentration
of glycol is increased to a mixture of about 60% antifreeze and 40%
water. Around that point, an abrupt turnabout occurs, and as more
antifreeze is added, the freezing point rises almost as fast as it had
previously dropped...

Glycols do not have sharp freezing points, and even below the freezing
temperatures, a slushy solution exists which will still flow. In the
never-never transition zone around -60°F and 60% glycol, the mixture
can either crystallize like water (particularly when 'seeded' by a
crystal and agitated) or set to a glass-like solid with no orderly
internal crystalline structure."

Alaska Science Forum: Don't Fill Her Up with Antifreeze
http://www.gi.alaska.edu/ScienceForum/ASF6/680.html

My Google search strategy:

Google Web Search: antifreeze "ethylene glycol" percent
://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=antifreeze+%22ethylene+glycol%22+percent 

Google Web Search: "ethylene glycol" + "freezing point"
://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=%22ethylene+glycol%22+%22freezing+point

I hope this is precisely the information you need. If anything is
unclear or incomplete, please request clarification; I'll be glad to
offer further assistance before you rate my answer.

Best regards,
pinkfreud

In addition to mono ethylene glycol, you'll have a cocktail of
inhibitors to reduce corrosion and probably an anti-foam agent as
well.  Getting the inhibitors right is a real pain, as adding
something to prevent corrosion of metal A will usualy cause corrosion
of metal B - so you add something to prevent corrosion of metal B and
that corrodes metal C!!  It's possible to close the loop, but it
breaks down over time, hence you should replace your coolant from time
to time.

Ian G.

I'd just like to point out a rather obvious pair of reasons why
ethanol and methanol by themselves should not be used as, or in
antifreeze.

Obvious reason #1:   They are highly flammable.

Obvious reason #2:  They are volatile, so will evaporate quickly from
the overflow container, leaving you with mainly water and a fairly
empty radiator.

Most of the comments are to the point. I would add little more.
Aantifreeze is generally a mixture of Ethylene Glycol (C2H6O2 formula)
and water. The ratio may change from brad to brand.
The important thing is the it not only acts as an antifreeze in the
areas where temp goes below zero but also as a collant in the areas
where temp is quite high. The reason is that ethylene glycol not only
reduces the freezing point of water but also increases its boiling
point.

So people living in Europe, for instance, use this mixture as an
antifreeze while those who are in the Arab or african region make use
of it as a coolant.

I hope it is enough for you.

Re Obvious reason #2 - Methanol was an ingredient of some antifreezes
in the late 60's early 70's.  Unfortunately, it caused a few car
heater hoses to pop off, spraying the unfortunate occupants with very
hot, smelly coolant!

Ian G.