[DeTomaso] Thermodynamics question

[JDeRyke at aol.com]

In a message dated 8/4/10 8:48:29 AM, knottsj at galstar.com writes:

> In the "old days" radiator and heater cores were black.  I thought that 
> this was for additional heat conductivity.  Have the thermodynamic rules 
> changed or are we accosted with "Bling".
> 
In the old days, radiators were brass and turned green with salt etc. So 
they usually got a light coat of flat black which may have helped increase 
emissivity a tiny bit but certainly kept them from corroding. Modern aluminum 
rads don't discolor with corrosion; some still get a light coat of primer on 
the cores; tradition, maybe?. FWIW- J DeRyke