USA: Tests carried out on the cooling systems of US army vehicles have found that around 25% contain some degree of refrigerant contamination. More than 18 different refrigerants have been detected, including the dangerous methyl chloride (R40) contamination responsible for explosions and three deaths in the reefer industry in 2011.
Following the R40 incidents in the container industry, the US army's Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center (TARDEC) formed an integrated process team (IPT) in response to an All Army Activities (ALARACT) message sent out at the beginning of March last year that alerted the army that they may have been provided with contaminated counterfeit refrigerant.

The incidents in the reefer industry caused thousands of refrigerated containers to be quarantined and checked for the the rogue refrigerant which was being sold as R134a but actually comprised a dangerous cocktail of refrigerants. Thought to originate from China, the rogue refrigerants were made to mimic the properties of R134a by combining a variety of cheaper gases including R22, R30, R142b, sometimes a hydrocarbon and, invariably, methyl chloride.

In May last year, ACR News first reported rumours that the dangerous 'R134a' refrigerant may have turned up in military vehicles in Afghanistan. At the time the US Army had sought help and advice from the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) after an army 'vehicle from theatre' (of operations) had been discovered to be contaminated with refrigerant containing more than 30% R40.



Subsequently, the army team worked with industry experts, the SAE and the Defense Logistics Agency, and numerous other defense departments to develop solutions for the identification, containment and mitigation of contaminated refrigerants. 



While the US Army had not received any reported incidents involving counterfeit refrigerant at the time of the ALARACT, Andrew Schultz, lead engineer in the TARDEC division said 'Since we knew there was a possibility of deployed units buying refrigeration locally, we stressed the importance of being proactive to army leadership.'



Concurrent with the safety of use message, TARDEC began working with Michigan Technological University researchers to assess the effects of R40 on system components and how it reacts with system components and other refrigerant oils.



In the months following, through extensive army-wide integrated vehicle screening initiatives, more than 18 different refrigerants were found in military vehicles, including the toxic and reactive R40.



TARDEC subsequently entered into an agreement with US refrigerant detector manufacturer Neutronics Inc to produce an electronic test kit capable of identifying vehicle systems contaminated with counterfeit refrigerants.

'To date, there have been no reports of injury to personnel or major loss of equipment in the army due to contaminated refrigerants... though approximately 25% of the vehicles tested have contained some level of refrigerant contamination,' Shultz said.



Due to the large varieties of contaminants found in the initial testing stages, a lab analysis is required to determine what mix is in the refrigerant system if it doesn't contain pure R134a. According to TARDEC, some mixtures have required special handling and expensive disposal equipment. Procedures for safely repairing contaminated vehicles are currently being developed and, for now, contaminated vehicles are being isolated until those procedures are validated.



The field testing kit will also help isolate the source of contaminated refrigerants, allowing officials to ensure contaminated sources are not used in the future.