DILO. Sustainably tight.

SF6 Characteristics and

Re-use Concept

www.dilo-gmbh.com © Peter Jannick / Solvay Fluor

Overview

 What is sulphur hexafluoride?

 Decomposition products
 SF6 gas specifications – IEC Standards
 SF6 ReUse concept
 Storage, labelling, transportation of SF6 Gas
 Repeated test for gas cylinders and containers
 Categorization of used SF6 gas – product or waste?

© February 2013 Introduction Page 2

Characteristics of SF6 gas

Properties

 Colourless and odourless

 Chemically inert
 Non toxic, non flammable, non corrosive
 Approx. 5 times heavier than air – 6.08 g / L
 Excellent arc-quenching and insulation properties
 Sound velocity is around 1/3 compared to air
 Thermally constant up to 500 °C
 SF6 is a relatively ozone friendly gas

© February 2013 Characteristics of SF6 gas Page 3

Characteristics of SF6 gas

Essential to know

 SF6 is a greenhouse gas with a Global Warming Potential

(GWP) of 22,200.
 The lifetime in the atmosphere is around 3,200 years.
 It is colourless and odourless and therefore goes unnoticed.
 It displaces the air and thus the oxygen required for breathing.
 Because it is heavier than air, it can accumulate on the
ground and in areas below ground level, where it creates a
suffocation hazard.

© February 2013 Characteristics of SF6 gas Page

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Characteristics of SF6 gas

Advantages by using SF6 gas

 Closed and compact electrical components

 Insensitive to environmental influences (moisture, sand, salt)
 High personal safety
 Low maintenance efforts
 High reliability
 Higher switching performance (oil/air/SF6-techn. = 1:3..4)

By using SF6 gas it is possible to build space saving electrical

components with a higher switching performance like oil or air
insulated applications. At the moment no comparable
alternatives to SF6 gas are available.

© February 2013 Characteristics of SF6 gas Page

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Decomposition products

Build-up of decomposition products

During arc quenching, the SF6 gas can react with

the electrodes or the surface materials of the
internal components.
 Metal fluorides
 SF6 decomposition

Decomposition products
 Gaseous decomposition products
(smell of rotten eggs)
 Solid decomposition products
(particles or grey dust)

Solid decomposition products

© February 2013 Decomposition products Page 6

How to remove decomposition products?

with particle filters in the pre-filter unit

Solid decomposition and the particle filter in the service
cart during recovery process
products with a dry vacuum cleaner (dust class
„H“) from the open gas compartment.

Gaseous with filters in the gas compartment and

decomposition with the filters in the pre-filter unit and
the particle filter in the service cart.
products

Dry filter Particle filter

© February 2013 Decomposition products Page 7

Specifications of SF6 gas

Specification (electrical standards) for sulphur hexafluoride

IEC 60376 IEC 60480 IEC 62271-4

Specification for new Specification for used SF6 ReUse
SF6 gas SF6 gas Specification
Air / CF4 Max. 1 Vol.-% < 3 Vol.-% < 30 Vol-% air
< 5 Vol-% CF4
Water -36 °C at pa 1 bar -23 °C at pa 1 bar (medium < 1,000 ppm (mass)
(Dew point) < 25 ppm (mass) voltage) approx. +4.5 °C at
-36 °C at pa 1 bar (high pa 1bar
voltage)
Oil < 10 ppm (mass) <10 ppm (mass) < 1,000 ppm (mass)

HF, SO2 < 1 ppmv < 12 ppmv SO2 > 12 ppmv SO2
< 50 ppmv total > 50 ppmv total

Regeneration at the SF6 producer

© February 2013 Specifications Page 8

 Specifications of SF6 gas

Explanation of applied terms

 “New SF6 gas“

- SF6 that has not been used before, supplied by the manufacturer

 “Non-decomposed SF6 gas"

- SF6 gas, that has already been used but has not yet been exposed to an electric arc

 “Normally decomposed SF6 gas”

- SF6 gas that has been in use for several years in normal switching operations under
normal operating conditions

 “Highly decomposed SF6 gas“

- SF6 gas that has been exposed once or several times to strong electric arcs during
breaking operations (e. g. short-circuits)

© February 2013 Specifications Page9

The SF6 ReUse Concept

Established since 1991:

 Three cases
 Provision of suitable packing (ReUse bottles and containers)
 Transport and labelling according to the gas quality
 Analysis of the used SF6 gas at the gas producer
 Direct integration in the production process without special cleaning
process
 Producing of new SF6 gas according to IEC 60376 / VDE 0373-1
quality

© February 2013 Re-Use Concept Page 10

The SF6 ReUse Concept

First case: On-site re-use

1. Measuring the gas quality with a

multi-function device (3 in 1)
 Decomposition products
 SF6 volume percentage
 Dew point temperature
2. Recovery of contaminated gas,
preparation and storage in liquid
or gaseous form
3. Registration of the recovered SF6
gas quantity (monitoring)
4. Measurement of the prepared gas
5. If the purified SF6 gas does not
exceed IEC 60480 limit values, it
is allowed to be reused.

© February 2013 Re-Use Concept Page 11

The SF6 ReUse Concept

Second case:
Recovery and regeneration to produce
new gas in accordance with IEC 60376

Checking the gas quality at the Recovery on site Re-use cylinders

electrical component
 SO2 decomposition products
 H2O
 Air
 Oil mist Laboratory gas
Regeneration at
analysis / Re-use
the SF6 producer
specification

New gas acc. to

SF6 filled electrical
IEC 60376
component
VDE 0373-1

© February 2013 Re-Use Concept Page 12

Feed-in of used SF6 in production process

© February 2013 Re-Use Concept Page 13

The SF6 ReUse Concept

Third case: Recovery and disposal of SF6

Checking the gas quality at the

electrical component
Recovery on site Re-use cylinders
 SO2 decomposition products
 H2O
 Air
 Oil mist
Laboratory gas
No regeneration analysis / Re-use
possible specification at
the SF6 producer

Chemical waste
Disposal incineration
facility

© February 2013 Re-Use Concept Page 14

Summary of all SF6 Re-use cases

Checking the gas quality at the

electrical component

 SO2 decomposition products

 H2O
 Air
 Oil mist

Recovery on site SF6 Service Device

Good (97 %)
(IEC 60480) SF6 filled
electrical
Regeneration at the SF6 New SF6 according component
SF6 producer
producer (IEC 62271-4) IEC 60376, VDE 0373-1

Chemical
Special case SF6 producer waste
incineration
facility

© February 2013 Re-Use Concept Page 15

The SF6 ReUse Concept

 Which electrical standards are applicable to new SF6 that has

not previously been used?
IEC 60376/VDE 0373-1 (guidelines on technical-grade
sulphur hexafluoride SF6 for use in electric power equipment)
 If the gas is recovered on site, the used SF6 is (IEC 60480)
… purified using SF6 service units and returned to the electric power
equipment
 Used SF6-gas which does not meet the criteria of the IEC 60480
regulations after gas recovery is
… filled into special re-use containers, analyzed in the laboratory,
returned to the SF6 gas production process and regenerated as
“new product quality” gas.

© February 2013 Re-Use Concept Page 16

Storage of SF6

 Pressurized in steel cylinders

 Cool and well-ventilated places
 Storing away from direct sunlight,
 Storage temperature < 50 °C according TRG 310, section 3.3
 Keep away from heat and flames
 Secure the cylinder from overturning and rolling away

© February 2013 Storage, labelling, transport Page 17

Transportation of new and used SF6

New SF6 Used SF6

SF6 Re-use Cylinders

Different wall thickness (TRG) and bottle connections (Typ A, DIN 477)

© February 2013 Storage, labelling, transport Page 18

Different valves for new and used SF6

Different materials and threads (Typ A, DIN 477)

© February 2013 Storage, labelling, transport Page 19

Labels for SF6

Label for new SF6 Label for used SF6

 H280 Contains gas under pressure;
The labels have a different colour, different may explode if heated
UN numbers, different signal words and
 P410 Storing away from direct sunlight
different warning hints!
 P403 Store at cool and well ventilated places

© February 2013 Storage, labelling, transport Page 20

Questions to SF6 bottles / ReUse bottles
or containers

 How do the re-use gas cylinders differ from the new gas cylinders?
 They have a stainless steel valve and a different thread
 They have a different colour coding (orange or yellow shoulder)
 How should SF6 gas cylinders be stored?
 Away from direct sunlight
 In a roofed, dry storage area, secured against overturning or stored on their sides
 Do repeat tests (pressure tests) need to be performed on the SF6 cylinders?
 Yes, according to the stamping on the cylinder (10 years respectively 5 years)

© February 2013 Storage, labelling, transport Page 21

Markings for the transportation on road

New SF6
UN-Number: 1080
Classification code: 2
Dangerous category: 2.2

Used SF6 according to IEC 60480

UN-Number: 3163
Classification code: 2A
Dangerous category: 2.2

Used SF6
UN-Nummer: 3308
Classification code: 2TC
Dangerous category: 2.3 + 8

© February 2013 Storage, labelling, transport Page 22

Road transport

Rating based on point system

1,000 points may be transported without driving licence for

transport of hazardous goods, without labeling of the vehicle,
without tunnel limitation and without vehicle registration for
transporting hazardous goods.

1 kg corresponds
UN No. 1080 New gas 1,000 kg
to 1 point

Used gas
1 kg corresponds
UN No. 3163 according to 1,000 kg
to 1 point
IEC 60480

1 kg corresponds
UN No. 3308 Re-use gas 20 kg
to 50 points

© February 2013 Storage, labelling, transport Page 23

Transport of used SF6 gas

Transportation of used SF6

 as dangerous waste with corresponding code number in

case the owner decides for disposal instead of reuse
 as used gas if the limit values of the IEC 60480 are
complied with
 as reusable economic good by using special packing if the
gas manufacturer’s specification according to IEC 62271-4
is complied with

© February 2013 Storage, labelling, transport Seite 24

Repeated tests for compressed gas
cylinders and containers

Gas cylinders New gas every 10 years Hydrostatic test

(5 – 40 kg)

Containers New gas every 10 years Hydrostatic test

(600 kg)

Containers Re-Use gas every 5 years Hydrostatic test

(40 kg and 600 kg)

© February 2013 Repeated tests Page 25

Categorization of used SF6
Product or Waste?
Gas Analysis
On site
Lab/manufacturer
or
Gas manufacturer

Compliant with Compliant with Not compliant with

IEC 60480 IEC TR 62271-4 IEC TR 62271-4

„Used SF6 suitable for Reuse
on site“
Pollution values according to
IEC 60480
„Used SF6 suitable for Reuse at
the gas manufacturers“:
Pollution values according to
IEC 62271-4
It has to be disposed of
according to local or
international regulations on
waste management

Product Product Waste

© February 2013 Categorization

Page 26
 DILO. Sustainably tight.

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D-87727 Babenhausen

Tel.: +49 (0) 83 33 - 302-0

Fax: +49 (0) 83 33 - 302-52
E-Mail: info@dilo-gmbh.de

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