Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Where can I store my gas cylinders?

Storage of gas cylinders under pressure is usually regulated by specific local legislation, especially if the gases are classified as dangerous (e.g. flammable, toxic, oxidising).

As very general principles gas cylinders should be stored in a well protected, well ventilated, dry location, at proper safety distance from combustible materials, incompatible substances and sources of heat. Signs should be mounted forbidding access for unauthorized persons, no smoking, no fire or open lights.

The gas cylinders must stand securely on flat ground and should be protected from falling over. Gas cylinders with liquid gas (e.g. propane, butane) should be stored upright. Stores should not be set up in critical areas such as stairways, corridors, emergency routes, garages or passages for persons or vehicles (collision risk). The valves should be closed securely and the cylinder caps should be screwed on. Fire extinguishers and a telephone with information on emergency telephone numbers should be easily accessible.

Refer to your supplier’s safety data sheet or other specific instruction for details.

Which are my duties as a refrigerants gases user?

Main users’ duties are:

• complying with any applicable regulation;
• observing the safety data sheet information and the content of any operating instruction provided by the supplier;
• training of the staff concerning correct use of the gases, the potential hazards and the relevant needed precautions;
• providing proper personal protective equipment (PPE) and emergency equipment;
• carrying out periodical visual inspection of cylinders and relevant supply installations, if any.

• physical hazards (e.g. flammability, oxidising, corrosive to metals);
• health hazards (e.g. toxicity, carcinogenicity, skin corrosive);
• environmental hazards (e.g. hazardous to the aquatic environment).

How can I dispose of waste products?

All waste gases must be disposed of in a manner which will not endanger people or harm the environment and in compliance with any applicable regulation.

The disposal may be considered under two general categories:

• routine, where waste gases occur on a regular basis as part of the process (toxic gases shall not be routinely discharged directly to atmosphere – such gases shall be treated by appropriate processes);
• non-routine, where waste gases may occur infrequently – emergency release (consideration shall be given to the means of treating, controlling and discharging potential non-routine gas releases so as to ensure there is no danger to people).

What is a dual port valve, and where would it be used?

A dual port valve has two outlet connections which allow the user to remove cylinder contents in either liquid, or vapour phase. The liquid connection utilizes a liquid withdrawal tube. The vapour connection is used to remove product in vapour phase from the head space near the top of the cylinder.

Dual port valves may be used with liquefied pure products such as 1,3 Butadiene, Propane, or various refrigerants. Dual port valves are also used with liquefied hydrocarbon blends to maintain pressure consistency during use.

What is the meant by the term Grade 2.8, or Grade 3.5 etc?

You can never have 100% absolute with a gas or chemical. Because of this gas purity is measured by the number of 9’s, and is based on reported impurities. With typical gases and chemicals, you begin with 99% (2 nines), followed by the decimal point. This allows us to scale up purity to our best level, which –depending on the product specification – may be 99.99999%.

Consider an example of Ammonia. You may be offered Grade 2.8 (99.8%), where the total maximum level of reported impurity will not exceed 2000 ppm, or 0.2%. In many applications, your system will require a higher purity, therefore you may choose a Grade 3.8 (99.98%), where the reported impurity level would not exceed 200ppm, or 0.02%.

The best practice is to review the published impurity levels offered to ensure the product meets your expectations.

The country that I am from does not appear on your contacts map – what do I do?

The number of Linde subsidiaries selling chemicals is growing all of the time and it is possible that we can serve your needs.

Please contact our global refrigerants team for assistance.

The most commonly used HCFCs are R22, R-123, R-401A, R-401B, R-402A, R-402B, R-409A and R-416A. Linde have developed a summary list of HCFC products which can be found here. This is an unofficial list provided.

The annex to the EU regulation details all of the individual component products impacted by phaseout legislation. This can be found at this link. Please not that many HCFCs – such as the “400 series” are blends of components, and so also restricted.

Do we need to remove all the R22 or other HCFC from the system before 1st January 2010?

No. The Regulation bans the ‘top-up’ of the system with ‘virgin’ HCFCs after 1st January 2010. There is no legal requirement to remove the existing HCFCs from the system.

What is a ‘virgin’ product?

Virgin product is unused product that has not been charged into a system. Even ‘clean’ product that has been in a system for a brief time may no longer be considered as ‘virgin’.

What is the difference between recycled and reclaimed R22?

Recycled HCFCs are those that have been recovered and undergone only a basic cleaning process such as mechanical filtering and moisture removal. They may still include other contaminants such as acids, non condensable gases and can be a poor quality refrigerant with unknown purities. Recycled HCFCs may only be used by those undertaking the recovery (e.g. a contractor) or those that the recovery was performed for (e.g. the end user). Recycled HCFCs may NOT be ‘placed on the market’ which means supplying or making available to a third party either for payment or free of charge.

Reclaimed HCFCs are recovered HCFC refrigerants that have been chemically reprocessed to a specific industry standard. Linde normally reclaims R22 refrigerant to ARI 700 specification, the same as virgin product. Reclaimed HCFCs may be placed on the market and used by contractors and plant owners. The cylinders will be properly labelled as ‘reclaimed’

Will it be possible to buy recovered/recycled R22 next year or will you only be able to use what you have recovered yourself?

Recovered/recycled R22 will be available. However as an industry we are only recovering approximately 10% of the present requirement and demand is very likely to exceed supply.

Will other HCFCs other than R22 be available from 2010?

It is very unlikely that any suppliers will have other HCFCs available as reclaimed product beyond the end of this year.

What do I do with the R22 and other HCFCs I have?

EU law states that all refrigerants must be disposed of correctly. When safely removed from the system, the refrigerants need to be returned to your local Linde Group Company to be either recycled or safely disposed of. Credits may be available for recovered R22 above specific volumes that is reclaimable.

Can we stockpile unused R22 and other HCFCs after 1st January 2010?

No. Virgin HCFCs such as R22 cannot be used after 1st January 2010 and any that is unused at that time must be returned to the refrigerant supplier for destruction. A fee will be charged for this service.

Can I use one of the HFC retrofit gases to top up an existing R22 system?

No, this would create a “cocktail” of gases which would not follow the correct thermodynamic profile and fail to perform to the requirements of the end user. The whole charge will then need to be removed and incinerated.

Which HFC can I use for my system?

Not all existing systems will be suitable for retrofitting, depending on their design, application and age. There are a wide range of HFCs available and it is not as simple as a 1 to 1 replacement of each HCFC with a new HFC. A summary retrofit table is available on our site, however we strongly recommend that you speak to your local Linde Group contact.

What system changes will I need to make to use retrofit HFC gases?

Under normal circumstances, system changes are minimal; adjustment to expansion valves may be required. Some alternatives may also require a change of oils. For further advice, speak to your local Linde Group contact.

For further questions on the EU HCFC phaseout, please contact your local Linde Group contact