ShareIncidents with fake refrigerants
Incidents involving fake refrigerants have hit the headlines on various occasions recently. The incidents often involve R40 (methyl chloride), a hazardous chemical compound, or other substances.
Incidents involving fake refrigerants have hit the headlines on various occasions recently. The incidents often involve R40 (methyl chloride), a hazardous chemical compound, or other substances.
It is believed for example that R40 was cut with R22 and then sold as R134a to various Asian service companies, and that this caused of a number of explosions, some of which were fatal. Cases of fatal explosions involving R40 were also reported in Russia last year.
R40 can dissolve the aluminium body in a compressor and produce highly inflammable, self-igniting trimethyl aluminium, which can explode on contact with air. The explosions usually involved reefer containers, but R40 is also claimed to have been found in US-army military vehicles in Afghanistan in recent months.
Refrigerant producers and various organizations such as Cemafroid or UNEP are launching information campaigns, such as UNEP’s REN Project. Research is also being conducted on ways of detecting the presence of counterfeit refrigerants in systems and removing them.
It is believed for example that R40 was cut with R22 and then sold as R134a to various Asian service companies, and that this caused of a number of explosions, some of which were fatal. Cases of fatal explosions involving R40 were also reported in Russia last year.
R40 can dissolve the aluminium body in a compressor and produce highly inflammable, self-igniting trimethyl aluminium, which can explode on contact with air. The explosions usually involved reefer containers, but R40 is also claimed to have been found in US-army military vehicles in Afghanistan in recent months.
Refrigerant producers and various organizations such as Cemafroid or UNEP are launching information campaigns, such as UNEP’s REN Project. Research is also being conducted on ways of detecting the presence of counterfeit refrigerants in systems and removing them.