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ASHRAE 34 Designation and Safety Classification of Refrigerants, 2010
- 34_2010_FINAL.pdf [Go to Page]
- FOREWORD
- 1. PURPOSE
- 2. SCOPE
- 3. DEFINITIONS OF TERMS
- 4. NUMBERING OF REFRIGERANTS [Go to Page]
- 4.1 The identifying numbers assigned to the hydrocarbons and halocarbons of the methane, ethane, ethene, propane, propene, butane, butene, and cyclobutane series are such that the chemical composition of the compounds can be explicitly determined fro...
- 4.2 For cyclic derivatives, the letter C is used before the identifying refrigerant numbers.
- 4.3 Ether-based refrigerants shall be designated with the prefix E (for ethers) immediately preceding the number.
- 4.4 Blends shall be identified by the designations assigned in this standard. Blends without assigned designations shall be identified by their compositions, listing the components in order of increasing normal boiling points separated by slashes, fo...
- 4.5 Miscellaneous organic compounds shall be assigned numbers in the 600 series in decadal groups, as outlined in Table 1, in serial order of designation within the groups. For the saturated hydrocarbons with 4 to 8 carbon atoms, the number assigned ...
- 4.6 Inorganic compounds shall be assigned numbers in the 700 and 7000 series.
- 5. DESIGNATION [Go to Page]
- 5.1 General. This section provides guidance on prefixes for refrigerants to improve uniformity in order to promote understanding. Both technical and nontechnical designations are provided, to be selected based on the nature and audience of the use.
- 5.2 Identification. Refrigerants shall be identified in accordance with Section 5.2.1, 5.2.2, or 5.2.3. Section 5.2.1 shall be used in technical publications (for international uniformity and to preserve archival consistency), on equipment nameplates...
- 5.3 Other prefixes, including ACFC and HFA, for alternative to chlorofluorocarbons and hydrofluorocarbon alternative, respectively, shall not be used. Similarly, neither FC nor CFC shall be used as universal prefixes to signify the fluorocarbon and c...
- 5.4 The convention specified in Section 5.2.1 can be complemented with pertinent data, when appropriate, as a preferred alternative to composition-designating prefixes in technical communications. For example, the first mention of R-12 in a discussio...
- 6. SAFETY GROUP CLASSIFICATIONS [Go to Page]
- 6.1 Refrigerants shall be classified into safety groups according to the following criteria. [Go to Page]
- Figure 1 Refrigerant safety group classification.
- 6.2 Other Standards. This classification is to be used in conjunction with other relevant safety standards, such as ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 15, Safety Standard for Refrigeration Systems.9
- 7. REFRIGERANT CONCENTRATION LIMIT (RCL) [Go to Page]
- 7.1 Single-Compound Refrigerants. The RCL for each refrigerant shall be the lowest of the quantities calculated in accordance with Sections 7.1.1, 7.1.2, and 7.1.3, using data as indicated in Section 7.3 and adjusted in accordance with Section 7.4. D...
- 7.2 Blends. The RCL for refrigerants comprising multiple compounds shall be determined by the method in Section 7.1 except that individual parameter values in Section 7.1.1 (a) through (d) shall be calculated as the mole-weighted average, by composit...
- 7.3 Data for Calculations. The data used to calculate the RCL shall be taken from scientific and engineering studies or published safety assessments by governmental agencies or expert panels. The applications submitted under Section 9, or therein ref...
- 7.4 Units Conversion
- 7.5 RCL Values. Refrigerants are assigned the RCLs indicated in Tables 1 and 2.
- 8. REFRIGERANT CLASSIFICATIONS
- 9. APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS [Go to Page]
- 9.1 Eligibility
- 9.2 Organization and Content. Separate applications shall be submitted for each refrigerant. Applications shall be organized into the following parts as further identified in Sections 9.3 through 9.8:
- 9.3 Cover. The cover shall identify the applicant and primary contact, the refrigerant in accordance with Section 9.5.1, and the requested action. Requested actions may include assignment or revision of a designation, safety classification, or—for ...
- 9.4 Administrative Information
- 9.5 Designation Information. Applications for refrigerant designations shall contain the information identified in Sections 9.5.1 through 9.5.3.
- 9.6 Toxicity Information. Applications shall include the data identified in Sections 9.6.1, 9.6.2, and 9.6.3. The sources for these data shall be identified, and the applicant shall provide copies if requested by the committee. The identified sources...
- 9.7 Flammability Information. Applications for single- compound refrigerants and refrigerant blends shall include flammability test data and information identified in Section B1.9 in Normative Appendix B. Applications for refrigerant blends shall als...
- 9.8 Contaminants and Impurities. Identify contaminants and impurities, including isomeric and decomposition impurities, from manufacturing, transport, and storage known to increase the flammability or toxicity within the precision of the RCL. Also id...
- 9.9 Submission
- 10. REFERENCES [Go to Page]
- TABLE 1 Refrigerant Data and Safety Classifications
- TABLE 2 Data and Safety Classifications for Refrigerant Blends
- TABLE 3 Flammability Classifications
- informative APPENDIX A— Isomer Designation Examples [Go to Page]
- TABLE A1 Ethane Series Isomers
- TABLE A2 Propane Series Isomers
- TABLE A3 Propene Series Isomers
- Four-carbon example: HFC-365mfc
- normative APPENDIX B— DETAILS OF TESTING—FLAMMABILITY
- B1. Flammability Testing [Go to Page]
- Figure B.1 Test apparatus.
- Figure B.2 Spark electrodes.
- B1.1 Test Conditions
- B1.2 When a refrigerant blend containing one or more flammable component(s) is being examined, testing shall be conducted up to and including the point at which flame propagation is demonstrated. If no flame propagation is apparent, testing shall be ...
- B1.3 When the ETFL60 of the flammable component(s) is known, testing for the ETFL60 or the LFL shall begin at 1%, by volume, lower than the lowest ETFL60. When the ETFL60 is not known, testing shall begin at 1% refrigerant by volume. If the test of t...
- B1.4 The mass percent formulation of the tested blend shall be verified through gas chromatography to a tolerance of ±0.5 mass percent or one-fourth of the composition tolerance range, whichever is smaller.
- B1.5 Samples shall be introduced into the flammability test apparatus in the vapor phase in accordance with ASTM E681. Liquid samples of the refrigerant or blend composition to be tested shall be expanded into a suitable evacuated container such that...
- B1.6 If flame propagation is observed while the spark is still active (i.e., the spark is overdriving the test vessel), then the test shall be repeated using a spark duration of less than 0.4 s but at least 0.2 s.
- B1.7 All flammability tests shall be recorded using a video recorder. A playback device capable of freeze frame and single- frame advance shall be available during testing. A copy of the video recordings shall be submitted upon request of the committee.
- B1.8 Criterion for Determining Flame Propagation. A refrigerant-air concentration shall be considered flammable for flammability classification under this standard only if a flame propagation occurs in at least two of three flammability tests on that...
- B1.9 Flammability Test Data Required. Applications shall include test results determined in accordance with Section B1. Test conditions shall be controlled to the tolerances cited below. Applications shall include tabulated flammability test data for...
- B2. Fractionation Analysis [Go to Page]
- B2.1 The applicant shall report results of a fractionation analysis conducted to determine vapor- and liquid-phase compositions of refrigerant blends under conditions of leakage (see Section B2.4) and successive charge/recharge conditions (see Sectio...
- B2.2 All fractionation analysis shall begin using the WCF. When application of the composition tolerances to the nominal formulation produces several possible WCF formulations, the applicant shall investigate all possible WCF formulations or provide ...
- B2.3 The mass percent formulation of the tested blend shall be verified through gas chromatography to a tolerance of ±0.5 mass percent or one-fourth of the composition tolerance, whichever is smaller.
- B2.4 Leakage Testing. Refrigerant blends containing flammable component(s) shall be evaluated to determine their WCFF formulation(s) during storage/shipping or use. Experimental tests or computer/mathematical modeling shall be conducted to simulate l...
- B2.5 Leak/Recharge Testing. Refrigerant blends containing flammable component(s) shall be evaluated to determine the fractionation effects of successive leakage and recharging on the composition of the blend. A container shall be charged to 15% of th...
- B2.6 Fractionation Analysis Data Required. The applicant shall submit for each fractionation scenario:
- informative APPENDIX C— BIBLIOGRAPHY
- informative APPENDIX D— Refrigerant Data [Go to Page]
- TABLE D1 Refrigerant Data
- TABLE D2 Data for Refrigerant Blends
- informative APPENDIX E— Toxicity and flammability data for single-compound refrigerants [Go to Page]
- TABLE E1 Toxicity Table for Standard 34—ATEL, ODL, FCL, and RCL Values for Single-Compound Refrigerantsa (ppm v/v)
- Informative APPENDIX F— EXAMPLE CALCULATIONS FOR HEATS OF COMBUSTION
- F1. Reaction stoichiometry for a refrigerant blend
- F2. Heat of combustion for a refrigerant blend [Go to Page]
- TABLE F1 Sample Enthalpies of Formation
- Informative Appendix G— CALCULATION OF RCL AND ATEL FOR BLENDS [Go to Page]
- Example: ATEL Calculation for R-410A (50/50 wt% R-32/R-125)
- RCL for R-410A
- informative appendix H— addenda description information [Go to Page]
- TABLE H1 Addenda to ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 34-2007 [Go to Page]