Final answer:
Before refrigerant can be re-sold, it must not have been used and must still be in its commercial chemical product form. It often undergoes recovery, recycling, and reclamation to restore it to industry-standard quality and ensure compliance with environmental regulations.
Step-by-step explanation:
Refrigerant Re-Sale Requirements
Before refrigerant can be re-sold, it must undergo specific processes to ensure that it is safe for reuse. The chemical in the waste must be unused, indicating that it has not been contaminated through its initial usage. Additionally, the chemical must still be in the form of a commercial chemical product, meaning it has retained its original composition without degradation. Refrigerants like Freon-12, used in refrigeration and aerosol propellant, must be properly recovered and may need to go through a process of recycling or reclamation which can involve removing impurities and contaminants to restore its quality to the original manufacture's specification.
The handling of refrigerants is governed by regulations to prevent environmental damage, particularly because certain refrigerants can contribute to ozone depletion or global warming if released into the atmosphere. Thus, proper recovery, recycling, and reclamation techniques are essential to comply with environmental regulations and to ensure the refrigerant can be safely and effectively re-sold.
During recovery, the refrigerant is removed from the refrigeration system. Recycling typically involves cleaning the refrigerant by oil separation and single or multiple passes through devices like filter-driers, which are designed to reduce moisture and acidity. Lastly, reclamation requires testing and possibly reprocessing the refrigerant to meet industry standards, ensuring it is of equivalent purity as new refrigerant. This is often done by professionals at a certified reclamation facility.