International. The Association of Refrigeration Companies and their Technologies (Aefyt), of Spain, announced a series of studies for the correct identification of counterfeit refrigerant gases.
On the one hand, a study by the OECD – Organisation for Economic Co.operation and Development – and the European Intellectual Property Office has made a map of counterfeiting in which it studies the routes followed by the different counterfeit products and the economic ecosystem that is created behind them.
On the other hand, the United Nations news agency published an article reminding it that counterfeit refrigerants are not manufactured to the same specifications as original branded products, so they can be contaminated, diluted or even contain substances completely different from those specified.
Unlike a gas acquired by legal means, there is no guarantee that the counterfeit and acquired on the black market meets the standards set by the Institute of Air Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration (AHRI), which describe the purity and composition of refrigerants. A fluid that does not meet the original specifications can have a negative impact on the operation of the equipment, as well as be dangerous to health, safety and the environment.
The most common drawback in the use of counterfeit gases is a decrease in system performance due to the gas not being compatible or having different characteristics than expected. In addition, they can cause problems such as increased power consumption and reduced equipment life. The best way to protect against the traffic of counterfeit liquids is to go to safe and proven purchasing channels and suppliers and take extreme precautions on the Internet, the preferred channel for counterfeiters to sell their products.
However, the most serious problem that the use of counterfeit refrigerants can present concerns safety. Many of them may contain a flammable compound, methyl chloride, which reacts with aluminum and generates reactive and toxic compounds on contact with air, often causing fires and explosions.
Source: Aefyt.
