International. A study by a maritime services company, Wilhelmsen Ships Service, says that in 2011, several refrigerated refrigerated containers exploded, killing three dock workers. While there have been more tragedies, since then, counterfeit refrigerants remain in circulation and still pose a significant safety risk.
Counterfeit refrigerant cylinders typically consist of a dangerously unstable cocktail of gases, mixed to roughly mimic the most common refrigerant, R-134a. These cylinders are often loaded with dishonest gases, such as R-40. Although similar to R-134a, R-40 reacts with aluminum to form trimethylaluminium, a highly volatile substance that, when exposed to air, can explode. At best, these fake refrigerants malfunction, are energy inefficient, and prone to damaging hoses, seals, and compressors. At worst, they are highly toxic, and in the case of fatal accidents in Vietnam, China and Brazil in 2011, highly volatile.
According to the international insurer TT Club, the contamination of R-40 contributes 0.2% of the fleet of refrigerated containers in the world, affecting about 2,500 refrigerated containers. However, other counterfeit refrigerant mixtures, such as those containing R-50, R-744, R-22 or R-170, are also considered unsafe, so the number of refrigerated containers affected could be much higher.
Some operators may not be aware of the potential risk of using counterfeit refrigerants, while others may be looking to cut costs. However, the main reason why these refrigerants continue to circulate is due to the continuous existence of disposable cylinders.
Because fake refrigerants are found exclusively in disposable cylinders, the study recommends that operators only purchase refrigerants supplied in refillable, or reusable, cylinders. For operators who insist on using disposable units, they must ensure that a trusted company, which has been audited and approved by an authorized manufacturer, supplies their refrigerants.
