JIS - Japanese industrial standards

The Japanese Industrial Standards (JIS) are standards used for industrial activities in Japan. The standards are coordinated and managed by the Japanese Industrial Standards Committee and published through Japanese Standards Association. The standards use the naming protocol “JIS ‘X’ 0208:1997”, where ‘X’ denotes area division, followed by four digits and the revision release year.

JIS K2234:2006 denotes the standard for engine coolants mainly composed of ethylene glycol, which are employed for both the prevention of freezing of fluid in liquid-cooled internal combustion engine cooling systems, as well as for the corrosion prevention/protection of the cooling system and its numerous components. The standard requirements include a combination of physico-chemical as well as performance tests. JIS K2234-2006 covers the specification for two classes of engine coolant: Class 1: AF (Regular Antifreeze Coolant) and Class 2: LLC (Long Life Coolant). The requirements are similar for both classes except for the performance requirements in the Metal Corrosion Performance tests, which are more stringent for Class 2 products.

JIS K2234-2006 is very similar in its methodology to the ASTM D3306 and other international engine coolant specifications/standards, however adds regional “flavour” in the test specifics as well as the limits. This notably includes the use of some specific test methods and also the use of JIS defined test materials. These specifics reflect the cooling system technologies applied by regional OEMs and their component suppliers.

Overall the JIS specification was developed to be representative for the Japanese markets and associated coolant technology requirements. As such it exhibits some specific appetites that are reflected in the typical coolant technologies as used and marketed in the Asia Pacific region, where Japanese, Korean and other OEMs - requiring a JIS K2234 performance level coolant - have a strong presence.