Counterfeit fact or fiction

Jan. 1, 2020
Counterfeiting of R134a refrigerant we use in vehicles has heightened refrigerant purity fears because the primary contaminant is not only flammable but also toxic and explosive.
Photo: Pete Meier

Counterfeiting of R134a refrigerant we commonly use in vehicles, refrigerated containers, refrigerators and commercial applications has heightened refrigerant purity fears to a new level because the primary contaminant is not only flammable but also toxic and explosive.

A Little History

From the beginning of time, counterfeits of every size, shape and form have existed. Ambitious and entrepreneurial individuals have sought to take advantage of others by copying their ideas and designs with the sole intention of reaping profits from the hard work of others. Often, counterfeiting only occurs when a particular original item has a premium value, leaving plenty of room for the counterfeiters to swoop in with low quality and subpar merchandise. Counterfeiting commonly is associated with things like monetary currency, designer hand bags, expensive watches and popular software programs. But what really constitutes counterfeiting?

The word counterfeit originates from the late 1200s and is defined as "Made in imitation so as to be passed off fraudulently or deceptively as genuine." Nearly anything and everything of value has been counterfeited or at least an attempt was made to create a look alike copy.

When the automobile gained rapid popularity in the early 1900s, a new opportunity for misrepresentation and counterfeiting was born as car parts quickly became a target for the unscrupulous element. Cases of counterfeiting and misrepresentation in the auto body and auto parts sectors are well known with legitimate companies investing time and resources to develop products only to have other questionable entities come along and copy their designs.

Refrigerants Become a Favorite Target

Smuggled R12 aboard a fishing boat in 2010 is seized and tested.

To understand the root of this new counterfeiting opportunity for the criminal element, one must reach back to the late 1980s and the implementation of the Montreal Protocol. The Montreal Protocol is an international treaty implemented to protect the ozone layer by phasing out the production of numerous substances believed to be responsible for ozone depletion. Among the substances subject to this phase out was the refrigerant commonly referred to as Freon®. R12, or Freon, was used in commercial applications and subsequently vehicles for some 60 years and had become the mainstay of refrigeration and air conditioning fluids.

When the use of R12 in motor vehicles was terminated in conjunction with the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendment, R134a, a new primary cooling fluid, was introduced. But the demand for R12 remained and several countries continued to produce it and prices for this restricted material began to skyrocket. A report released in January 2006 by the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA), a well-respected international non-profit organization "committed to investigating and exposing environmental crime," was covered in the April 2006 issue of Motor Age and documented the illegal import and export of R12 from China.

In 2010, a fishing boat was caught trying to smuggle several thousand pounds of R12 into Taiwan in direct violation of local and international law. A tip led authorities to inspect the vessel and seize the refrigerant. While this case was not one of direct counterfeiting, it underscores the continuing demand for this refrigerant and the steps that some will go through to make a profit.

As this practice of misrepresentation continues today, the contents of the counterfeit cylinders have changed, and the resulting damage from the use of this rogue refrigerant cocktail has become catastrophic for at least three families.

Refrigerant Counterfeiting Takes a Lethal Turn

The March 2011 issue of the Auto A/C Reporter (AAR), an industry journal focused on the Automotive Air Conditioning market in Europe, first reported the discovery of severely contaminated R134a noting that a number of incidents across Europe had been found. The article identified the contaminated mixture as having contained large quantities of R40 and R22 refrigerant resulting in severe system failure.

Since the initial reports from Europe, it has been revealed that in early 2011, counterfeit R134a was supplied to the Cat Lai Sea Port Terminal in Vietnam. The refrigerant was subsequently used to service hundreds or even thousands of refrigerated cargo containers that transport food items across the oceans to sea ports around the world. Inside the refrigeration systems of these containers, a deadly chemical reaction was brewing between the rogue refrigerant and the aluminum used in the compressors, condensers and other heat transfer components.

The true content of the refrigerant used to service the containers has been found to contain significant (more than 30 percent) quantities of R-40 (aka Methyl Chloride or Chloromethane). R-40 is extremely toxic, flammable and highly reactive when exposed to the internal aluminum components of an A/C or Refrigeration system. When the R40 comes in contact with the aluminum it forms a third, highly volatile compound likely with a methylaluminum base component. One prominent theory identifies the likely material as Trimethylaluminum (TMA). TMA is a "pyrophoric", a flammable liquid and vapor that ignites on contact with air.

Three deaths have now been attributed to the use of this counterfeit R134a. Service technicians in Vietnam and Brazil were killed when the refrigeration portion of the containers exploded while being charged and recovered. The discovery of the contaminated shipping containers caused major disruptions at sea ports around the globe and prompted authorities worldwide to begin a search for the source of the counterfeit refrigerant. As of early February, the source or sources had not been located.

Who Can You Trust?

An unexplained AC system explosion in the UK in 2006 may have resulted from the use of counterfeit R134a.

Unfortunately the story does not end there. Honeywell, a major producer of high quality refrigerants, reported several seizures of counterfeit refrigerant in the Middle East including one in Dubai in November of 2010 and another in August of 2011. The second seizure was reportedly 180,000 pounds contained in 6,000 30-pound cylinders. These cylinders appeared to the naked eye to be genuine, name brand product. But, upon closer examination of the packaging and contents, the differences in the packaging were noticeable and a laboratory analysis of the contents confirmed that the material was not R134a. Honeywell is not alone in this battle.

Other refrigerant manufacturers including DuPont have issued warnings to their customers to be on the lookout for counterfeit product.

A July 2009 press release on the counterfeiting subject was followed by a January 25, 2012, release from DuPont that included this statement from Greg Rubin, global business manager, DuPont Refrigerants. "This problem is real and it is growing, and the impact can include significant injury and tragic loss of life," he said. "Counterfeit refrigerants also have the potential for significant business impact, especially in emerging regions. We've seen evidence of counterfeiting in virtually every region and across multiple product lines."

How Easy Is It?

Some instances of counterfeiting are much more deliberate. In China, backroom refrigerant brokers gladly will offer to package refrigerant for export to North America bearing any brand name you desire. They will even go so far as to provide the "Made in USA" moniker on the outer packaging in an effort to have the buyer overlook any slight errors on the brand label. This custom labeling can be had for as little as $4 per cylinder with very little chance of the producer ever getting caught.

Some reputable manufacturers have taken the next step to protect their brands by installing proprietary, 3D holographic labels on their cans. These labels are very difficult to replicate and should help the consumer recognize the real product. Unfortunately, these measures only will last so long as the dishonest entrepreneurs will soon find ways to imitate the labeling, and the cat and mouse game will begin again.

Detecting Fakes

High quality counterfeits are often very difficult to detect. Take the case of an authorized brand name distributor in the Middle East that was selling the real refrigerant to their customers and then collecting the used cylinders only to fill them again with an off brand refrigerant. Although the refilled refrigerant was of good quality, it was not made by the company on the label.

Refrigerant companies are hesitant to discuss the visual clues that could discern a fake from the original. In their eyes, telling the consumer what to look for simply helps the counterfeiters know what mistakes they made and allow them to improve their look alike products. Certain things are obvious such as:

  • Misspelling of the name on the cylinder
  • Cylinders with no recognizable markings
  • Cylinders with the service valve not centered between the handles

Shop owners and service facilities have a right to get what they paid for, and as the cost of refrigerant rises and falls there are a few things they can do to improve their odds of getting good, legitimate refrigerant.

First, buy a brand you trust from an authorized reseller of the refrigerant. If you are not sure that your supplier is authorized, call the brand manufacturer and ask them about your supplier. Second, avoid deals that are too good to be true. If it fell off the back of the truck or someone says they were overstocked, you might want to walk, or better yet, run away.

Third, make sure the cylinder is sealed and does not look like it was used for a medicine ball at the local gym. Finally, test the refrigerant with an SAE certified refrigerant identifier. Virgin R134a should always be displayed as 100 percent R134a with 0 percent Air when tested with an SAE J1771 certified refrigerant identifier.

Where Do We Go From Here?

The current concerns surrounding the R134a supply will not last forever. They very likely will be replaced by another contaminant used by counterfeiters such as propane or butane but the cycle is not likely to have an end. In spring 2012, a new refrigerant will be introduced to the U.S. market called HFO1234yf. This refrigerant is expected to cost 10 times as much as R134a and will open new doors for the counterfeiters to walk through.

Test Results confirm that the aforementioned fishing vessel was indeed carrying R12.

With a pressure/temperature curve similar to R134a, one can only imagine the profit potential these back alley companies could see and the lengths that they might go to take advantage of the opportunity.

Fortunately, the SAE and vehicle OEMs considered this possibility and have made refrigerant identification a requirement before the Refrigerant Recovery Recycling (RRR) machines can do their job. While counterfeiting of HFO1234yf is certainly possible, the real threat to the HFO1234yf supply may be the current EPA rules.

You should not be surprised to see R134a, HFO1234yf Lite and HFO1234yf eventually sitting side by side on your local DIY auto parts store. How you ask? As the rules stand today, the only automotive refrigerant that is regulated by the EPA is R12, and both R134a and HFO-1234yf are approved (with use conditions) as replacements for R12. This could lead to a flurry of replacement refrigerants being approved for use just like we had in the mid 1990s.

The moral of the story is simple, be cautious, be diligent and be smart. As the saying goes, you have to pay for quality and if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

A Side Note

As the economy has faltered over the past few years, one thing few consumers are willing to give up is the A/C in their cars and trucks. The DIY market for small cans of refrigerant is as strong as ever as more and more consumers try to fix it themselves first and seek professional repair a distant second.

Many refrigerants available to the consumer in the DIY auto parts stores contain some form of additive promoted as a cure all to fix leaks, improve gas mileage, make the air colder or lubricate better. When it comes to these products, keep in mind that the consumer is unlikely to tell you he or she tried to fix it first when they make their appointment. During your servicing of vehicle A/C systems, be aware of any prior service, (DIY or other), that may impact the work you are about to perform.

Peter Coll as been with Neutronics Inc. for 16-plus years, and is vice president for the Refrigerant Analysis Division. He maintains an active relationship with many governmental regulatory agencies as well as automotive OEMs. [email protected]

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