Detectable refrigerant compositions and uses thereof

Abstract

Disclosed herein are detectable refrigerant compositions, comprising from about 0.001 to about 5 weight percent tracer compositions, which are useful to identify leaking in a vapor compression refrigeration and/or air conditioning system. The presence of the tracers make the refrigerant compositions detectable by chemo/electro-active array, corona discharge, heated diode, electrochemical, photoionization, infra red, ultrasonic and electron capture detectors.

1 - 16 . (canceled) 
     
     
         17 . A detectable refrigerant composition comprising:
 (a) at least one hydrofluorocarbon refrigerant: and   (b) an effective amount of a tracer wherein said tracer comprises at least one C 1-4  hydrochlorocarbon.   
     
     
         18 . The composition of  claim 17  wherein said hydrofluorocarbon refrigerant comprises at least one refrigerant selected from
 fluoromethane (HFC-41),   difluoromethane (HFC-32),   trifluoromethane (HFC-23),   fluoroethane (HFC-161),   1,1-difluoroethane (HFC-152a),   1,1,1-trifluoroethane (HFC-143a),   1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane (HFC-134a),   1,1,2,2-tetrafluoroethane (HFC-134),   or 1,1,1,2,2-pentafluoroethane (HFC-125).   
     
     
         19 . The composition of  claim 17 , wherein said C 1-4  hydrochlorocarbon is selected from trans-1,2-dichloroethylene, methyl chloride, methylene chloride, ethyl chloride, 1-propyl chloride or 2-propyl chloride. 
     
     
         20 . The composition of  claim 17  wherein the composition comprises from about 0.001 to about 5 weight percent of tracer, based on the total weight of said refrigerant and said tracer. 
     
     
         21 . The composition of  claim 17  wherein the composition comprises from about 0.01 to about 1 weight percent of tracer, based on the total weight of said refrigerant and said tracer. 
     
     
         22 . The composition of  claim 17  wherein said tracer has a vapor pressure at 25° C. of from about 0.01 to about 500 times the vapor pressure at 25° C. of said refrigerant. 
     
     
         23 . The composition of  claim 17  wherein said tracer has a vapor pressure at 25° C. of from about 1 to about 300 times the vapor pressure at 25° C. of said refrigerant. 
     
     
         24 . A method for analyzing at least one gas component of the detectable refrigerant composition of  claim 17  comprising:
 providing a detector for detecting the refrigerant composition, wherein said detector is selected from the group consisting of a chemo/electro-active array detector, corona discharge detector, heated diode detector, heated electrochemical detector, photoionization detector, infra red detector, ultrasonic detector and an electron capture detector.   
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein said detector for detecting is selected from the group consisting of a corona discharge detector and a heated electrochemical detector. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein said chemo/electro-active array detector comprises an array of at least two chemo/electro-active materials, each chemo/electro-active material exhibiting a different electrical response characteristic upon exposure to at least one individual gas component in said refrigerant composition than each other chemo/electro-active material. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26 , further comprising:
 (i) exposing said array to said refrigerant composition;   (ii) determining an electrical response of each chemo/electro-active material upon exposure of said array to said refrigerant; and   (iii) analyzing the individual gas component from the electrical response values.   
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27 , further comprising:
 optionally, determining a value for the temperature of said refrigerant composition independently of the determination of the electrical responses of the chemo/electro-active materials; and   optionally, digitizing the electrical responses and the temperature value, so as to permit calculation of a value from the digitized electrical responses and temperature value; and   optionally, analyzing the gas component.   
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein said method is used to detect leaks in a vapor compression refrigeration or air conditioning system, or heat pump system.