Production of trimethylaluminum (Me3Al) with counterfeit refrigerant chloromethane (R-40), reactivity of Me3Al with refrigerant oils and methods to deactivate Me3Al

Abstract Reactions between Al containing materials and counterfeit refrigerant chloromethane (R-40) were investigated under various conditions. The addition of Mg effected a reaction indicating that trimethylaluminum may have been produced in the reaction. A different study involving Al-foil, AlCl3 and chloromethane resulted in cracks detected on the Al-foil which reduced in weight by 19% and methane was detected. Studies conducted either at room temperature or at 80°C with two other genuine refrigerants, R-142b (1-chloro-1,1-difluoroethane) and R-133a (2-chloro-1,1,1-trifluoroethane) did not form organoaluminum compounds. Several commercially available refrigerant oils were subjected to Me3Al. Only polyester oil resulted in a decrease in the quantity of methane released upon final deactivation with alcohol. Various chemicals were added to Me3Al in order to find which ones would react and not produce methane. Phthalaldehyde was determined to be the most efficient reagent by deactivating approximately 50% of the methyl groups on Me3Al.