Wilmington, Del. – DuPont Refrigerants urges HVACR industry members to be aware of potential counterfeit and illegally imported refrigerant products, with particular attention to R-22 and R-438A. R-438A is a patented product from DuPont, sold as DuPont™ ISCEON® MO99™ refrigerant.
“There have been a number of indications in the marketplace that illegal imports are on the rise as well as illegally imported China-produced R-438A,” said Jim Bachman, North American sales and marketing manager, DuPont Refrigerants. “We encourage vigilance and smart procurement practices. It is more important than ever to know who you’re buying from.”
DuPont has taken extra steps to help you buy with confidence and peace of mind. Every DuPont-produced refrigerant in non-refillable containers (DACs) has a unique identifier known as a DuPont™ IZON® hologram. This authentication security device, located on the cylinder, certifies that the product is genuine DuPont.
Illegally imported R-22 and R-22 substitutes have been found to contain a combination of hydrocarbons, which make the refrigerants flammable. Often these knock-off refrigerants do not have approval under the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Significant New Alternatives Policy (SNAP) Program and pose a significant risk to business owners and equipment owners, both financially and from a safety standpoint.
“We are asking distributors, contractors and end-users to alert DuPont if they encounter product in the marketplace that may be illegally imported,” said Bachman. “We have become aware of products in the marketplace that mirror the marketing claims and product packaging of DuPont™ ISCEON® MO99™ refrigerant. The ISCEON® MO99™ brand has tremendous market awareness and contractor preference as an R-22 alternative, making it a target for illegal imports.”
This is a warning that products being marketed as generic 438 may contain propane, which is flammable. We are aware of one particular product, BMP438, which is being marketed with conflicting components on the carton, one of which is propane. BMP438 is not produced by DuPont and is not DuPont™ ISCEON® MO99™. More importantly it has not been SNAP approved by the EPA and therefore cannot be legally sold in the United States for air-conditioning applications.
“We will defend our brands rigorously and will pursue whatever means available to prosecute cases of illegal imports or counterfeit products,” Bachman continued. “This is a huge issue for the industry in terms of safety and compliance, and poses a significant financial risk to those who purchase and sell refrigerants. The EPA has a robust process for refrigerant approvals to protect the industry. It is incumbent on all of us in this industry to ensure that we are producing or buying products that have the proper approvals and authorizations and report those that do not comply.”
DuPont is a leading global supplier of refrigerants, using science and technology, market knowledge and global reach to provide sustainable materials and solutions to enhance personal comfort, enable food preservation, improve industrial processing and reduce environmental footprints. For more information, please visit http://refrigerants.dupont.com.
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