Low acute toxicity; simple asphyxiant at high concentration, cardiac sensitisation (arrhythmia) at very high % as with all halocarbons. asphyxiant; greenhouse gas (F-gas Annex I).
gas liquefied under pressure, colourless, faint ethereal odour
Odour
faint ethereal odour
1 ppm at 20 °C
4.24 mg/m³
Behaviour with temperature and pressure
Boiling point -26.1 °C at 1 atm: a liquefied gas under its own vapour pressure in cylinders. Critical point 101 °C / 40.6 bar: below this temperature it can be stored as a liquid; cylinder pressure then equals the vapour pressure. Vapour pressure ≈ 2 bar at -10 °C — this is the pressure inside a cylinder or a switchgear compartment at that temperature, and it rises steeply with temperature (Clausius–Clapeyron). Relative density 3.59 (air = 1): heavier than air — accumulates in pits, cable basements and at floor level; place sensors low. Conversion at 20 °C, 1013 mbar: 1 ppm = 4.24 mg/m³; NDIR reads partial pressure, so readings scale with absolute pressure (value = reading × P/1013) and must be pressure-compensated.
// Non-combustible gas., Only slightly soluble in water., Gas is heavier than air., Danger of suffocation at high concentrations due to oxygen displacement.
Hazards & safety
NFPA 704
health · flammability · instability · special
GHS / CLP pictograms
GHS04 · Gas under pressure
Hazard class
asphyxiant; greenhouse gas (F-gas Annex I)
GHS signal word
Warning
CLP classification
Gases under pressure, liquefied gas; H280
Hazard statements
H280: Contains gas under pressure; may explode if heated.
// Limits change: always confirm the current national value before setting an alarm. Values above were read from the EU directives / GESTIS / NIOSH pages listed in Sources.
Effect on people
Low acute toxicity; simple asphyxiant at high concentration, cardiac sensitisation (arrhythmia) at very high % as with all halocarbons. Liquid contact → frostbite. Thermal decomposition yields HF and COF₂.
GESTIS main toxic effects: Acute effects: Exposure to highly concentrated vapours or aerosols might entail slight irritations of the mucosae, cardiovascular disorders, narcotic effects; hypothermia or frostbite after skin or eye contact with the fluid.
Chronic effects: Data for humans are not available.
Recommended monitoring
NDIR (8.5 µm) is the only practical fixed method for refrigerant leak detection at ppm levels in machine rooms (EN 378, F-gas leak checks); EC cells are not selective. Heavier than air — sensors near the floor.
Alarms: 500 ppm typical (EN 378 practical limit ~ 50 000 ppm for A1 gases is far higher than F-gas leak-detection needs).
Climate & atmosphere
GWP₁₀₀ — IPCC AR6
1530
GWP₁₀₀ — IPCC AR4
1430
GWP used in Reg. (EU) 2024/573
1430
Atmospheric lifetime
14 years
Ozone depletion potential
0
Main IR absorption band (NDIR)
8.4–8.6 µm (C–F stretch, ≈1180 cm⁻¹); 7.5–9.5 µm region
Regulation windows
F-gas 2024/573 Annex I (GWP 1430) — leak checks (Art. 4/5), leak-detection systems, phase-down quota; MAC directive banned in new cars since 2017
