DUPONT Refrigerants has expressed anger over the existence of potentially harmful counterfeits of R22 and R134a refrigerants in the Middle East and has set up a taskforce to help local authorities police the problem.
Frequently branded or packaged to resemble leading brands, including DuPont's Freon and Suva brands, Dupont's analysis of the counterfeit refrigerants has show them to contain dangerous and flammable blends of various components.

'Such mixtures are harmful in every sense of the word,' said Pascal Faidy, business manager at DuPont Fluorochemicals Refrigerants, Europe, Middle East and Africa.

He said:'They are not only flammable and thus dangerous for those working directly with the refrigerant, but they contain ozone-depleting substances such as R12 and therefore do not support the phase-out of CFCs, the deadline for which is 2009 in the Middle East. Moreover we have witnessed cases where the use of such counterfeits has damaged components in air conditioning systems. Finally, with regards to those products which are packaged to resemble genuine branded products, it is a blatant case of trade name abuse and counterfeiting.'

Many of the counterfeit refrigerants are believed to emanate from certain countries of Asia and are destined for the Middle East due to the region's large-scale requirements for R22 and R134a for use in air conditioning systems.

DuPont is urging its customers to only source its refrigerant gas products from authorized distributors in the region. It has set up a local taskforce to clampdown on the unauthorized use and counterfeiting of its refrigerant gases and is working with local authorities to help them identify counterfeit products.

'For any wrong-doing, infringement or counterfeit we find, we reserve our right to enforce our trademark to the fullest extent of the law. We view trademark infringement and counterfeiting as serious matters which DuPont is not prepared to tolerate,' added Faidy.

For authorized distributors of DuPont refrigerant gases in the Middle East, customers can contact Refik Sivri, of Fluorochemicals Refrigerants for Turkey & Middle East.