Opteon™ YF
Automotive Refrigerant
HFO-1234yf

Product Packaging, Handling,and Storage Guideline

Opteon™ YF

Product Quality
Using best practices leads to the best quality product. Why
do anything less than your best when packaging a premium
product? Here is a quick update on information that can befound within the Opteon™ YF PUSH bulletin and Safety
Data Sheet (SDS).
Chemours Opteon™ YF is manufactured, packaged, andtested to meet SAE J2844 Automotive standard. This
industry-approved standard establishes the minimum required
purity specification used in automotive applications. Properbulk material storage, transfer, and cylinder packaging andcylinder storage will maintain product quality.

Best Practices
Product Bulk Storage

Refrigerant

contaminated, clean the suspected contaminated tankand lines with mild detergent or warm water. Care should
be taken to not use harsh detergents. Do not use
detergents with phosphate cleaning materials, strong
odors (even if cleaning agents have a pleasant odor, they
may contain oxidizers that can degrade the product), or
other harmful strong cleaning agents.
• Ensure that the storage tank and lines are dry before
transferring refrigerant into them. Purge the tank andlines with dry nitrogen (99.99% purity), which has amaximum moisture specification of 10 ppm.
• Ensure that the storage tank and lines are evacuated toat least 5,000 microns or less vacuum prior to fillingwith refrigerant.
Packaging Equipment
There is a wide range of cylinder packaging equipment thatcan be used to package Opteon ™ YF from bulk containers
into small packages.
Packagers need to ensure that any equipment used withflammable materials has the proper safety rating. Packagingequipment should be located in a properly classified location
with good ventilation. Area monitors should be permanently
mounted near packaging operations in case of leaks or line

Purchased material may be transferred to a bulk storagetank before being used in the packaging process. Good
storage practices will ensure that good incoming material
will maintain its current high level of quality throughout theproduct packaging process.
Bulk storage tanks will need to meet required regulatorycodes and standards. Conversion from an existing HFC134a bulk storage tank to HFO-1234yf can requiresignificant planning to meet the requirements needed for
flammable material storage. Depending on the history of
the bulk storage container shell, there will be a need toensure there is no degradation of the interior shell surfaces(no pitting, gouges, etc.). The same issue will apply to theexterior of the bulk storage container. New or refurbishedbulk tanks will need to be checked for possible manufacturingresidue particle debris, including cleaning agents orsolutions, that could negatively impact product quality.
• Ensure that the storage tank and transfer lines are clean
before working with Opteon™ YF refrigerant. If thestorage tank is not clean or suspected of being

failures. Operators can wear personal monitors and/or use
hand-held leak detectors too. Additional information on leakdetections and monitors can be discussed with Chemours
representatives at any time.
Additionally, gaskets, O-rings, and hoses that are used withOpteon™ YF should be compatible. Equipment packaging
suppliers should be able to provide information on therelative compatibility of Opteon™ YF with these items. If
packaging suppliers do not know or cannot provide thisinformation, this may be an important point to discuss withthem prior to purchasing equipment. Poor material
compatibility can lead to unwanted residues and/or poor
product quality. Some material compatibility can be foundin the Opteon™ YF PUSH bulletin. However, it should be
noted that many materials are denoted by a genericelastomeric and/or plastic category. Overall material
compatibility can change from supplier to supplier basedon product compounding methods. Therefore, it is a bestpractice to get the most recent material compatibility
information directly from the material supplier and/or thepackager supplying the equipment.

Opteon™ YFRefrigerant

Thread locking agents can also lead to unwanted product

Cylinder Packaging

degradation. While some thread locking agents (e.g.,• Do not repackage Opteon™ YF into cylinders that have apackaging equipment connections, valve attachments) arecommonly used, they should be used sparingly and withcaution. Some thread locking agents contain extremely
harsh chemicals such as peroxides that can quickly lead toproduct quality degradation. Thread locking agents were
never meant to come into direct contact with refrigerants
or wetted components. However, overuse and poorapplication during assembly processes have increased thelikelihood that these aggressive chemicals can be
inadvertently introduced into liquid refrigerant and cause

leaking valve or where the valve has been left open.
Minute levels of rust or dirt within the package cannegatively impact product quality. Therefore, it will be
critical to properly clean compromised cylinders toensure quality product after replacing leaking valves.
• Ensure that the cylinders used for packaging Opteon™
YF are clean and properly prepared for packaging
refrigerant. Best practice is to develop an incominginspection and cleaning plan for cylinder re-use.

quality issues. Best practice is to reduce or eliminate these• Do not fill refrigerant into Opteon™ YF cylinders withproducts in the packaging process. If these products must

excessive amounts of air or moisture. This can lead to

be used, it is critical that they are tested with Opteon™ YF

poor product quality and impact release specifications.

and found to be compatible.
Here are some packaging guidelines:• Ensure that refrigerant packaging equipment has theproper safety classification, is located in a properlyclassified location, and has adequate ventilation. Bestpractice is to have permanently mounted leak detectorsthat can ensure no product leakage during packaging.
• Ensure that all materials (e.g., gaskets, O-rings, hoses,etc.) used in packaging equipment with Opteon™ YF havegood material compatibility.
• Do not use thread locking agents that are incompatible
with Opteon™ YF in packaging equipment and/or cylinder
valve attachment. Ensure that equipment packagers andcylinder manufacturers do not use thread locking agentsthat cause product degradation.
• Ensure that the refrigerant charging lines have beenthoroughly prepared, cleaned, and do not introduce
contaminants into cylinders.
• Ensure that refrigerant charging lines are free of leaks
and can properly pull the desired level of vacuum during
operation. (A hand-held leak detector can be used toconfirm lines are leak-free.)• Ensure that refrigerant charging equipment or operator
properly closes the valve after packaging. Best practices
are to use safety seals (i.e., shrink sleeves) after properly
filling and closing valves.

• Ensure that the cylinders have the proper relief valve(RV) design and pressure rating for refrigerant being
packaged.
• Do not overfill cylinders. Do not re-fill disposablecylinders.
• Do attach safety seal (i.e., shrink sleeve) or cylinder dust
cap once cylinder has been filled. These provide an extra
level of protection to the cylinder valve and also help tokeep the valve free from particulates during transportation.
Cylinder Storage
Storage of cylinders should follow guidelines as specified in
the SDS. General guidance follows:• Cylinders should be stored upright and firmly secured toprevent falling or being knocked over.
• Cylinders should be stored at temperatures no greaterthan 52 °C (125 °F).
• Separate full cylinders from empty cylinders.
• Keep in properly labeled cylinders.
• Keep cylinders in cool, well-ventilated place away fromdirect sunlight.
• Do not store cylinders in areas where salt or othercorrosive materials are present.
• Do not store cylinders near combustible materials.
• Do not store cylinders in standing water or puddles.
• Always store cylinders in accordance with local ornational requirements.

Opteon™ YF

Refrigerant

For more information on the Opteon™ family of refrigerants, or other refrigerants products, visit opteon.com or call (800) 235-7882.
The information set forth herein is furnished free of charge and based on technical data that Chemours believes to be reliable. It is intended for use by persons having technical skill, at their own
risk. Because conditions of use are outside our control, Chemours makes no warranties, express or implied, and assumes no liability in connection with any use of this information. Nothing herein
is to be taken as a license to operate under, or a recommendation to infringe, any patents or patent applications.
© 2019 The Chemours Company FC, LLC. Opteon™ and any associated logos are trademarks or copyrights of The Chemours Company FC, LLC. Chemours™ and the Chemours Logo aretrademarks of The Chemours Company.
C-11884 (10/19)