Phosgene and brakleen and welding

I know some of this was covered in the freon/compressor thread, but wanted to post about any heat or torch to chemicals such as Brakleen to clean off gunk and what can happen. I did a search and didn't see this one posted, so I am sorry if it has been and I didn't see it.
http://www.brewracingframes.com/id75.htm



JPete

Thanks for the article! Scary what can harm you!

Wow. Hopefully that Guy in the long run is ok. Hope that others read and learn from his mistake.

that's a stern reminder there yep

A note for the guys cutting up compressors, the damage can be accumlative.

Originally Posted by freonjoe

compressors

don't mean to side track, but have been needing to ask this question somewhere, is there any simple way to tell if an old compressor still has any charge left in it?

Originally Posted by freonjoe

A note for the guys cutting up compressors, the damage can be accumlative.

Whats the actual chemicals involved, I don't think phosgene will happen there, but I do cut them open with a grinder in a small workshop/room.

Phosgene may also be produced during testing for leaks of older-style refrigerant gasses. Chloromethanes (R12, R22 and others) were formerly leak-tested in situ by employing a small gas torch (propane, butane or propylene gas) with a sniffer tube and a copper reaction plate in the flame nozzle of the torch. If any refrigerant gas was leaking from a pipe or joint, the gas would be sucked into the flame via the sniffer tube and would cause a colour change of the gas flame to a bright greenish blue. In the process, phosgene gas would be created due to the thermal reaction. No valid statistics are available, but anecdotal reports suggest that numerous refrigeration technicians suffered the effects of phosgene poisoning due to their ignorance of the toxicity of phosgene, produced during such leak testing. Electronic sensing of refrigerant gases phased out the use of flame testing for leaks in the 1980s. Similarly, phosgene poisoning is a consideration for people fighting fires that are occurring in the vicinity of freon refrigeration equipment, smoking in the vicinity of a freon leak, or fighting fires using halon or halotron

Eesakiwi, R22 breaks down at around 250 degrees F.

Bear, if the compressor is already out of a system, hit it on the bottom with a hammer to make sure refrigerant isn't trapped under the oil.