Surface World September 2019 Surface World September 2019 | Page 72

PRODUCTS & PROCESSES
is leak tested to specific standards. If a leak is detected, the
equipment must be immediately removed from use and repaired,
and then remedial checks are to be carried out within one month.
Any stationery equipment that contains more than 3kg of F-gases
must also keep records of their use, including the type of F-gases used
and the quantity; details of any services carried out on the equipment;
and the details of every leak test conducted on the system.
Finally, all equipment and systems that contain or use F-gas must be
labelled with the type and quantity within.
Because it can be difficult to immediately recognise which products
contain F-gas, there are some things to look out for. In the case of
solvents, it is required by law that F-gas is noted on the drum so
all labelling should be examined carefully. F-gases also have to be
listed on material safety data sheets, so these should be obtained
for all solvents, as well as regularly requesting the latest version
to be aware of any changes.
are available, so it is important to explore these options.
For solvents, a new generation of cleaning solutions are just as
effective as those containing F-gases. In most cases, they also make
cleaning processes more efficient and more cost-effective, as well
as minimising environmental impact. Solvents such as the Opteon™
range from Chemours™ were specifically developed to be safe for
users and for the environment. Opteon™ SF80®, which is the newest
product in the range and has an ultralow GWP of less than 2.5,
is a non-flammable, fast drying cleaning solvent that works well as
a replacement for hydrofluorocarbons and perfluorocarbons as well
as high GWP HFE’s currently noted in annex 2 of F-gas regulations.
It is well-suited for vapour degreasing, precision cleaning and the
removal of greases and oils; and to clean a variety of soils from
mechanical components, electronics, optics, and military hardware.
These solvents are also increasingly replacing commonly used heat
transfer fluids.
The effects of F-gas Regulation and the restrictions it places
on production are being felt across the market, as quotas for
manufacturers are dropping and costs are increasing as a result. With quantities of F-gases decreasing, and costs escalating,
businesses currently using F-gases in their equipment, and in
particular those using solvents containing F-gases for industrial
applications, should look to the future and to the alternatives.
These regulations are not going away, and when there are choices
available that deliver equal results, are more cost-effective, and
reduce environmental impact, the time to embrace the change is now.
One of the reasons the EU has placed restrictions on F-gas in
particular is because so many environmentally friendly alternatives Telephone: [phone]
Visit: www.frasertech.co.uk
What are the alternatives
to F-gases?
The Grinding & Polishing Handbook Issue14
'RQ·WPLVVRXWRQRXU
PXVWKDYHFREEJXLGH
7RJHW\RXUFRS\
UHJLVWHU\RXULQWHUHVWRQRXUZHEVLWH
ZZZHTXLSPLGODQGVFRXN

RUHPDLOVDOHV#HTXLSPLGODQGVFRXN
RUFDOO           
The essential collection for grinding and polishing
information from Equip, which includes the very latest
QSPEVDUTBOETFSWJDFTGPSUIFTVSGBDFmOJTIJOHJOEVTUSZ
$PWFSJOHTQFDJmDTPMVUJPOTJOBFSPTQBDF
BVUPNPUJWF

NFEJDBM
DVUMFSZ
DPOTUSVDUJPOBOEHFOFSBMGBCSJDBUJPO