The commonly used refrigerant for household and industrial refrigeration equipment is R600a refrigerant, which is isobutane. In order to use the substance safely and effectively, it is necessary to understand its technical, chemical, and physical properties.

What is R600a (isobutane)

Isobutane is a component of natural gas. It is absolutely safe for the environment because its potential to damage the Earth's ozone layer is zero, and it has almost no impact on the development of the greenhouse effect. Due to its environmental friendliness, it has replaced "competitors" such as R12 refrigerants like Freon. Isobutane is a colorless and volatile substance. If we talk about the chemical formula of isobutane, it is similar (but not identical) to the chemical formula of natural gas butane.

Isobutane has been used as a refrigerant since the early 20th century. However, at that time, refrigerators were very technologically imperfect and required up to 400 grams of isobutane as a refrigerant. One unit. At such a volume, gas becomes flammable. In modern refrigerators using this refrigerant, 25 grams is sufficient.

The process of obtaining R600a is called isomerization in special industrial equipment, which results in a change in the structure of hydrogen and carbon atoms in the molecule while their quantities remain unchanged. Isobutane is produced from natural gas extracted from the Earth's interior and petroleum products.

The physical and chemical properties of isobutane:

R600a (isobutane) is a colorless and odorless gas. It does not contain chlorine or fluorine, which sets it apart from many other fluorocarbons;

The molecular (molar) mass is 58.12 g/mol;

Molecular formula - C 4 Н 10;

R600a belongs to the hydrocarbon group (HFC) and has an unlimited lifespan;

The solidification point is 0.1 MPa- 159.6 ºC；

R600-a has a low boiling point of -11.73 ° C, so isobutane is not only used as a refrigerant in refrigerators, but also in household air conditioners;

The density at 25 º C is 0.551 g/cc. The density of isobutane tends to concentrate in the lower part of the room: the higher, the lower the gas concentration. To avoid the risk of explosion, it is important to ventilate the room and ensure proper ventilation;

In isobutane, there may be trace impurities such as methane, ethane, water, oxygen, propane, sulfur, propylene, n-butane, pentene, isobutene, isopentane, carbon dioxide, and nitrogen;

The ignition temperature of R600a gas is 83 ° C, which poses a fire hazard. Level 3 fire hazard refrigerant. The critical temperature is 135 ° C. Combustion and explosion hazards can only occur when combined with air at a gas volume fraction of 1.3-8.5%. The charging of this refrigerant can only be carried out by professionally trained service center experts.

When using isobutane (including during storage and transportation), for safety reasons, it is recommended to pump 2-2.5 times less gas into the cylinder compared to other fluorocarbons.

Considering the above characteristics, it is necessary to organize the correct storage and transportation of isobutane. When using gas, it is recommended to use personal protective equipment (goggles and gloves).