Regulations and Guidelines
Directives and guidelines SF₆ gas
Nowadays, sustainable development and reduction of environmental influences are major topics in the energy industry.
Manufacturers of high voltage plants as well as the end users equally admit their responsibility for the whole life time cycle of a plant – from construction until shutdown.
Summary
Here you will find a summary of the most important guidelines:
United States Environmental Protection Agency
The EPA’s Mandatory Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Reporting Rule for Electrical Transmission and Distribution Equipment (Subpart DD) requires electric power systems to track and report their emissions of sulfur hexafluoride and other fluorinated GHGs.
Learn more
California Air Resources Board
The California Air Resources Board’s (CARB) Regulation for Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Gas-Insulated Equipment sets rules for owners of electrical equipment to lower sulfur hexafluoride and other fluorinated gas emissions. It establishes a scheduled phase-out for acquiring new sulfur hexafluoride equipment, sets annual emission limits, and requires recordkeeping and annual reporting.
Learn more
Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection
Learn more
European Union
IEC specifications (standards) for sulphur hexafluoride
What Are the IEC Standards and Specs for SF₆ Gas?
At DILO, we are committed to providing sustainable, environmentally friendly solutions for the professional handling of gases. With locations in Florida, Arizona, and Oregon, DILO provides certified sulfur hexafluoride (SF₆) gas, high-quality industrial gas equipment, and testing, monitoring, and disposal services. We hold ourselves to the highest SF₆ gas specifications and standards to give our customers the utmost confidence in our products.
What is the IEC?
The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) is a global organization that sets standards for electrical and electronic technologies and related materials. First founded in 1906, the IEC is comprised of 89 member countries and dozens of affiliate countries. Many member countries adopt IEC’s standards as their national standards, some of which are developed jointly with the International Organization for Standardization (ISO).
What Is Included in the SF₆ Gas Standards and Requirements?
IEC sets specifications for both new and used SF₆ gas. IEC 60480 is the standard that provides criteria for the re-use of SF₆ gas, while IEC 60376 defines the quality for technical-grade SF₆ gas, as well as complementary gases, including nitrogen (N2) and carbon tetrafluoride (CF4).
These international standards cover several essential aspects, such as:
■SF₆ Requirements specific to secure handling, storage, and transportation
■Potential contaminants and their sources
■Specifications for the re-use of SF₆
■Methods of analysis for SF₆ gas
■Decomposition and behavior of SF₆ gas
■Neutralizing solutions
■Safety and first aid
| IEC 60376 Specification for new SF6 gas | IEC 60376 Specification for used SF6 gas | |
|---|---|---|
| SF6 | > 98.5 Vol.-% For gas mixtures: > 99.7 Vol.-% | > 97 Vol.-% For gas mixtures: ±5% from the normal value |
| Air/CF4 | Air: < 10,000 μl/l (i.e 1 Vol.-%) for pure SF6 gas For gas mixtures: < 2,000 μl/l (i.e. 0.2 Vol.-%) CF4: < 4,000 μl/l (i.e. 0.4 Vol.- %) for pure SF6 gas For gas mixtures: < 800 μl/l (i.e. 0.08 Vol.-%) | < 30,000 μl/l (i.e 3% Vol.) For gas mixtures: SF6/N2 mixtures: < 30,000 μl/l (air and/or CF4) SF6/N2 mixtures: < 30,000 μl/l (air and/or N4) |
| Moisture (dew point) | < 200 μl/l (i.e. 200 ppmv: -36°C frost point @ atm) | < 200 μl/l (i.e. 200 ppmv: -36°C frost point @ atm) |
| Oil | < 10 mg/kg (i.e. 10 ppmw) | < 10 mg/kg (i.e. 10 ppmw) |
| HF, SO2 | < 7 μl/l (i.e. 7 ppmv) total | < 50 μl/l total (i.e. 50ppmw) or 12 μl/l (i.e. 12ppmv) For (SO2+SOF2) or 25 μl/l (i.e. 25 ppmv) HF |
What are the Requirements for Safe Handling and Storage of SF₆?
Precautions for Safe SF₆ Handling
■Wear leather safety gloves and safety shoes when handling cylinders.
■Protect cylinders from physical damage; do not drag, roll, slide, or drop.
■While moving the cylinder, always keep in place the removable valve cover.
■Never attempt to lift a cylinder by its cap; the cap is intended solely to protect the valve.
■When moving cylinders, even for short distances, use a cart (trolley, hand truck, etc.) designed to transport cylinders.
■Never insert an object (e.g., wrench, screwdriver, pry bar) into cap openings; doing so may damage the valve and cause a leak.
■Use an adjustable strap wrench to remove over-tight or rusted caps.
■Slowly open the valve. If the valve is hard to open, discontinue use and contact your supplier.
■Close the container valve after each use; keep closed even when empty.
■Never apply flame or localized heat directly to any part of the container. High temperatures may damage the container and could cause the pressure relief device to fail prematurely, venting the container contents.
Precautions for Safe SF₆ Storage
■Store in a cool, well-ventilated place.
■Store and use with adequate ventilation.
■Store only where the temperature will not exceed 125°F (52°C).
■Firmly secure containers upright to keep them from falling or being knocked over.
■Install the cylinder valve protection cap if provided, firmly in place by hand.
■Store full and empty cylinders separately.
■Use a first-in, first-out inventory system to prevent storing full containers for long periods
■When handling the product under pressure, use piping and equipment adequately designed to withstand the pressures to be encountered.
■Never work on a pressurized system.
Use a backflow prevention device in the piping.
■Gases can cause rapid suffocation due to oxygen deficiency; store and use with adequate ventilation.
■If a leak occurs, close the container valve and blow down the system in a safe and environmentally correct manner in compliance with all international, federal/national, state/provincial, and local laws
SF₆ gas is one of the six greenhouse gases that must be monitored following the Kyoto protocol. To avoid emissions, SF₆ must be used in closed systems.
Choose DILO for Certified SF₆ Gas
At DILO, we are an industry leader in responsible gas handling and safety. Using rigorous testing procedures, we guarantee each cylinder of SF₆ gas provided by our company has the following:
■<99.5 ppmV (-41.5⸰ dew point) moisture content
■>99% SF₆ purity
■Zero SO2 / gas byproducts
Headquartered in Odessa, Florida, DILO provides certified SF₆ gas to customers throughout the United States, Canada, Latin America, and the Caribbean. DILO’s SF₆ gas exceeds the IEC 60480 standard, as well as the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers’ standard for SF₆ gas handling (IEEE C37.122.3-2011). For more information about us and the current SF₆ gas standards.