SF6 Gas Recovery & Disposal
Celtic Recycling have installed storage facilities and recovery systems - incorporating molecular filters - to ensure that we reclaim 100% of the SF6 gas received at our works. The gas is then analysed to establish if it is suitable for recycling. If the gas quality has deteriorated to a point where recycling is not possible, then, it is despatched for destruction at a licensed, high-temperature incineration plant.
Celtic Recycling ensures that SF6-insulated equipment follows a responsible disposal route to a facility which is equipped to recover every last vestige of this troublesome atmospheric pollutant.
Where ‘flashovers’ occur in HV equipment, highly toxic compounds can be formed which are inimical to both humans and the environment at large. Celtic Recycling has proven containment and decontamination measures enabling us to treat contaminated equipment and render it harmless.
Whether the gas is recycled or destroyed, at Celtic Recycling we ensure that it does not impact upon our environment.
SF6 (Sulphur hexafluoride) is a colourless, odourless, non-toxic non-flammable gas with very low reaction chemistry. It is used by the electricity industry as a gaseous insulator for high-voltage circuit breakers, switchgear, and other electrical equipment, often replacing harmful PCB. SF6 gas has a much higher dielectric strength than air which makes it advantageous to the industry in allowing a significant reduction in the size of electrical equipment, which is easier to manage and maintain.
SF6 is also used in the magnesium industry, aircraft industry, semiconductor manufacturing and as a tracer gas for leak detection.
According to the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change), SF6 is the most potent greenhouse gas, with a global warming potential of 22,200 times that of CO2 over a 100 year period.
