Good Tip.. Also FYI R12 when broken down is the same colorless orderless chemical ued in WMD Gas rockets (used on the Curds)

Broken down How you say.... burn it like say on a hot exhaust manifold..

 

"When this chemical is exposed to heat and the gas argon, which is used in TIG and MIG welding, it produces phosgene".

I don't know what it's making, and I'm sure it's nasty, but the argon doesn't have anything to do with it. Argon is an inert gas, it doesn't react or combine with anything.

 

I checked the warnings for TCE. It's the heat alone that forms phosgene and HCL (otherwise known as hydrochloric acid):


1,1,2-TRICHLOROETHANE, TETRACHLOROETHYLENE, AND DICHLOROETHYL ETHER

Reactivity Profile
Decomposed upon heating and by UV light forming phosgene and HCl; reacts violently with finely dispersed light metals and zinc [Handling Chemicals Safely 1980 p. 887].

Added to my list of things to not do any more!:yes:

 

Don't forget the standard A/C The standard leak detector was a propane torch, with a
hose to check for leaks!

 

The 'Flame' detectors don't "look" for Freon
They react to the refrigerant oils used in the system - which causes the flame to change color when detected :yes:

The amount of 'Tri-Clor' needed to produce the TLV for Phos or any other compound is way greater than the amount available in the leak you're trying to detect - so it's a 'no-harm, no-foul' type of test ... You'd have to have so much 'tri-Clor' in the air to begin with that you wouldn't have been able to breath anyway I still wouldn't recommend you open up a 30-lb. container of Freon and expose it to a flame - but I think the smell and other stuff would hae you fleeing the area before you recieved a fatal dose ...
(No, I didn't stay at Holiday Inn last night - but I was DuPont employee for many years and I still play with them for another company every day )

Most Chemicals when exposed to heat, moisture, light and/or other chemicals can and will compound and become something you weren't expecting (unless your a chemist) - so the general recommendation is always to remove the humans, isolate the spill and allow the gas to naturally ventilate naturally before re-entering to repair the leak. Any other intervention or remediation should only be done by the Hazmat Trained folks ...

Reminds me, I need a few more pounds of freon for something ...