New Enquiries, Client Visits, Contracts & Agreements
John A S Welch CChem MRSC MRQA
Head of Business Development
[email protected]
Quality Control Analysis
David A Riches BSc CChem MRSC
Head of Analytical Operations
[email protected]
BLP04 - CFC Analysis
Projects, Method Development, Validation, Stability
and Non-Routine Analysis
David Bell BSc
Head of Projects
[email protected]
Quality Audits & Regulatory Issues
David J Hawkins BSc CBiol MIBiol MRQA
Head of Quality Assurance & IT
[email protected]
EXCELLENCE
IN
ANALYTICAL
54-56 Waldegrave Road, Teddington, Middlesex TW11 8NY
Telephone: +44 (0) 20 8977 0750 Fax: +44 (0) 20 8943 2624
Email: [email protected] Website: www.butterworth-labs.co.uk
Designed by: Delaney Goss Ltd 01372 466 666
CHEMISTRY
Ozone Depleting Substances
(ODS) Analysis
Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) were originally seen
as wonder chemicals. Developed in the 1920s
by Thomas Midgeley, they soon became very
popular as refrigerants, for making plastic foam
and as aerosol propellants.
CFCs have a useful combination of physical
properties. They are very stable, non-toxic and
non-flammable. Unfortunately their chemical
stability also means that they destroy
stratospheric ozone, although this was not
known when they were developed.
Halons, which contain bromine, are very
effective in putting fires out. Their most useful
characteristic is that they can be used where
both people and machinery are present, without
doing any damage to either. They have become
widely used in computer rooms, museums, on
ships and aircraft, for general office fireprotection and for industrial applications. The
two main halons are 1301, used in fixed
systems, and 1211, used in portable fire
extinguishers.
Hydrochlorofluororcarbons (HCFCs) were
developed as an interim replacement for CFCs.
They break down more readily in the lower
atmosphere, so that little of the chlorine they
contain reaches the stratosphere.
HCFCs are considered necessary in some
applications in the short to medium term, to
help users to move rapidly away from the use of
CFCs; they have some ozone depleting potential,
but damage done by HCFCs is between onefiftieth and one-tenth of that done by the same
amount of the major CFCs.
All ODS used in refrigeration and air conditioning
equipment must be recovered during servicing
and maintenance of equipment or prior to
dismantling or disposal of equipment. Since 1st
January 2001 recovered CFCs have been
destroyed by licensed contractors. Recovered
HCFCs however, can either be destroyed or can
be re-used until 2015.
Other ODS materials include: Carbon
Tetrachloride, 1,1,1 Trichloroethane and Methyl
Bromide.
Fridge Recycling Plant
Halon Recycling System
Recovery and recycling have had an important
role to play in the move away from ozone
depleting substances. This was recognised by EC
Regulation 2037/2000. Article 16, which
became effective on 1st January 2001, obliging
users to recover controlled substances from
commercial and industrial refrigeration and air
conditioning equipment, equipment containing
solvents and fire fighting equipment.
Virgin Halons cannot be used for refilling existing
fire protection systems. Recovered, recycled or
reclaimed halons may only be used in a limited
number of “critical uses”, for example, in certain
military and aerospace applications. The critical
uses are listed in Annex VII of the EC
Regulation.
Butterworth Laboratories Ltd have been
providing analysis of ODS materials since the
early 1990’s. This initially started with the
analysis of Halons 1211 and 1301 being recycled
from fire extinguisher systems.
The same technology has also been applied to
the analysis of ODS materials from Refrigeration
and Air Conditioning systems as well as Blowing
Agents used in Foam, and Aerosol Propellants.
The laboratory have developed and validated a
number of specific methods to meet ISO17025
Accreditation requirements using GC-Headspace.
They have routinely tested Halons, for Fire
Fighting extinguishers, to BSEN27201-1:1994,
it’s equivalent ISO 7201-1:1989 and ASTM
D5632, as detailed in the United States
Department of Defence Mil-Std-12218C. Testing
has also been performed to the Air-conditioning
and Refrigeration Industry (ARI) Standard 700 as
well as its European equivalent
For more information on ODS/CFC
Analysis please contact:
Frank Judge
[email protected]
Also available:
BLP01 - USP Residual Solvents
BLP02 - USP Heavy Metals
BLP03 - CHN Analysis
BLP05 - Melamine Analysis
BLP06 - Stability Analysis
BLP07 - Forced Degradation
BLP08 - Trace Metals Analysis
BLP04 - CFC Analysis