{"id":7297,"date":"2016-11-10T10:11:40","date_gmt":"2016-11-10T09:11:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.wika.com\/en\/?p=7297"},"modified":"2023-02-01T14:53:16","modified_gmt":"2023-02-01T13:53:16","slug":"responsible-handling-of-sulphur-hexafluoride","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.wika.com\/en\/knowhow\/responsible-handling-of-sulphur-hexafluoride\/","title":{"rendered":"Responsible handling of sulphur hexafluoride"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sulphur hexafluoride – or SF6<\/sub> gas for short – is, so far, the gas with the strongest known greenhouse effect. Its contribution to the greenhouse effect is about 23,000 times that of CO2<\/sub> and is persistent in the atmosphere.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

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Source: Federal Statistical Office: Survey of particular climate-active materials \u201csulphur hexafluoride\u201d (SF6), Wiesbaden, 2015<\/p><\/div>\n \n

Sulphur hexafluoride is defined as a compound consisting of the two elements sulphur and fluorine. The formula is SF6. Due to its specific properties, SF6<\/sub> gas<\/a> has been used in many different industries. To prevent the harmful climate effects, the use of the gas in many of the application areas has been forbidden since 4th<\/sup> July, 2007. These include, for example, usage in soundproof windows, sports shoes or as a tyre gas in vehicles.<\/p>\n

In many other industrial applications, however, there has not been any reasonable and applicable alternative available to date. Thus, SF6<\/sub> gas continues to be used. The main field of application is electrical power engineering. In gas-insulated switchgear, the gas serves as an insulating medium and also to quench any arcing during the switching process.<\/p>\n

European Union Regulations<\/strong><\/h2>\n

In order to keep the impact of SF6<\/sub> and other fluorinated greenhouse gases within limits, in 2006, the regulation over fluorinated greenhouse gases was adopted by the European Parliament. Since 2015, the reworked EU regulation, 517\/2014 on fluorinated greenhouse gases has been in force (known colloquially as the F-gas regulation). In order to increase accountability with the handling of SF6<\/sub> gas and to reduce emissions through careless handling, Article 10 of the F-gas regulation prescribes required training measures.<\/p>\n

Training and certification<\/strong><\/h2>\n

People who carry out work in connection with sulphur hexafluoride (SF6<\/sub>) gas must now be specifically trained and certified. Among the relevant activities, in particular, are:<\/p>\n