Guidance

Fluorinated gases (F gases)

A list of all F gases with rules you must follow, and F gases that you must report on only.

If you work with hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs) or sulphur hexafluoride (SF6), you may need to:

  • keep records of equipment you own containing them
  • have equipment leak checked
  • be qualified to work on products containing them
  • make checks before you sell them or equipment containing them
  • keep records of how much you sell as gas and in equipment

You may need to report on these gases if you:

  • import, export or destroy them
  • use them as feedstock
  • import them in pre-charged equipment

If you work with HFCs you’ll need:

  • quota to import or produce them
  • authorisations to import them in pre-charged equipment

Use the global warming potential to calculate the carbon dioxide equivalent weight of an F gas

HFCs

The UK is phasing down HFCs by 79% by 2030 from the average use between 2009 to 2012.

The phase down also applies to mixtures containing these gases.

Industrial designation Chemical name (common name) Chemical formula Global warming potential
HFC-23 trifluoromethane (fluoroform) CHF3 14,800
HFC-32 difluoromethane CH2F2 675
HFC-41 fluoromethane (methyl fluoride) CH3F 92
HFC-125 pentafluoroethane CHF2CF3 3,500
HFC-134 1,1,2,2-tetrafluoroethane CHF2CHF2 1,100
HFC-134a 1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane CH2FCF3 1,430
HFC-143 1,1,2-trifluoroethane CH2FCHF2 353
HFC-143a 1,1,1-trifluoroethane CH3CF3 4,470
HFC-152 1,2-difluoroethane CH2FCH2F 53
HFC-152a 1,1-difluoroethane CH3CHF2 124
HFC-161 fluoroethane (ethyl fluoride) CH3CH2F 12
HFC-227ea 1,1,1,2,3,3,3-heptafluoropropane CF3CHFCF3 3,220
HFC-236cb 1,1,1,2,2,3-hexafluoropropane CH2FCF2CF3 1,340
HFC-236ea 1,1,1,2,3,3-hexafluoropropane CHF2CHFCF3 1,370
HFC-236fa 1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoropropane CF3CH2CF3 9,810
HFC-245ca 1,1,2,2,3-pentafluoropropane CH2FCF2CHF2 693
HFC-245fa 1,1,1,3,3-pentafluoropropane CHF2CH2CF3 1,030
HFC-365 mfc 1,1,1,3,3-pentafluorobutane CF3CH2CF2CH3 794
HFC-43-10 mee 1,1,1,2,2,3,4,5,5,5- decafluoropentane CF3CHFCHFCF2CF3 1,640

Common mixtures containing HFCs

Industrial designation Mixture common name Global warming potential
HCFC-22 / HFC-152a / HCFC-124 R-401A 2088
HFC-125 / HFC-143a / HFC-134a R-404A 3922
HFC-32 / HFC-125 / HFC-134a R-407A 2107
HFC-32 / HFC-125 / HFC-134a R-407C 1774
HFC-32 / HFC-125 / HFC-134a R-407F 1825
HFC-32 / HFC-125 R-410A 2088
PFC-218 / HFC-134a / HC-600a R-413A 2053
HFC-125 / HFC-134a / HC-600 R-417A 2346
HFC-125 / HFC-134a / HC-600a R-422A 3143
HFC-125 / HFC-134a / R-600a R-422D 2729
HFC-125 / HFC-134a / R-600 / R-600a / R-601a R-424A 2440
HFC-32 / HFC-125 / HFC-134a / HFC-143a R-427A 2138
HFC-125 / HFC-143a / R-290 / R-600a R-428A 3607
HFC-125 / HFC-134a / HFC-143a / R-600a R-434A 3245
HFC-125 / HFC-134a / R-600 / R-601 R-437A 1805
HFC-32 / HFC-125 / HFC-134a / R-600 / R-601a R-438A 2264
HFC-32 / HFC-125 / HFC-134a / R-1234ze / R-1234yf R-448A 1386
HFC32 / HFC125 / R1234yf R-452A 2140
HFC-134a / HFC-125 / HFC-32 / HFC-227 / R-601a / R-600 R-453A 1765
HFC-125 / HFC-143a R-507A 3985
HFC-23 /PFC-116 R-508B 13396

Read guidance on uses of HFCs exempt from the phase down.

Alternatives to HFCs being phased down

If you use or service equipment containing HFCs being phased down, ask your supplier for advice on alternatives.

F gas equipment manufacturers should:

  • produce goods that use gases with lower global warming potential
  • identify compatible gases with lower global warming potential that can be used when servicing existing systems

PFCs

Industrial designation Chemical name Chemical formula Global warming potential
PFC-14 tetrafluoromethane (perfluoromethane, carbon tetrafluoride) CF4 7,390
PFC-116 hexafluoroethane (perfluoroethane) C2F6 12,200
PFC-218 octafluoropropane (perfluoropropane) C3F8 8,830
PFC-3-1-10 (R-31-10) decafluorobutane (perfluorobutane) C4F10 8,860
PFC-4-1-12 (R-41-12) dodecafluoropentane (perfluoropentane) C5F12 9,160
PFC-5-1-14 (R-51-14) tetradecafluorohexane (perfluorohexane) C6F14 9,300
PFC-c-318 octafluorocyclobutane (perfluorocyclobutane) c-C4F8 10,300

Sulphur hexafluoride

Chemical name Chemical formula Global warming potential
Sulphur hexafluoride SF6 22,800

F gases you must report on only

You may need to report on these gases if you:

  • import, export or destroy them
  • import them in pre-charged equipment

Other F gas rules do not apply to these gases.

Unsaturated hydro(chloro)fluorocarbons

Chemical name Chemical formula Global warming potential
HFC-1234yf CF3CF = CH2 4
HFC-1234ze trans — CHF = CHCF3 7
HFC-1336mzz CF3CH = CHCF3 9
HCFC-1233zd C3H2ClF3 4.5
HCFC-1233xf C3H2ClF3 Not yet available

Fluorinated ethers and alcohols

Chemical name Chemical formula Global warming potential
HFE-125 CHF2OCF3 14,900
HFE-134 (HG-00) CHF2OCHF2 6,320
HFE-143a CH3OCF3 756
HCFE-235da2 (isofluorane) CHF2OCHClCF3 350
HFE-245cb2 CH3OCF2CF3 708
HFE-245fa2 CHF2OCH2CF3 659
HFE-254cb2 CH3OCF2CHF2 359
HFE-347 mcc3 (HFE-7000) CH3OCF2CF2CF3 575
HFE-347pcf2 CHF2CF2OCH2CF3 580
HFE-356pcc3 CH3OCF2CF2CHF2 110
HFE-449sl (HFE-7100) C4F9OCH3 297
HFE-569sf2 (HFE-7200) C4F9OC2H5 59
HFE-43-10pccc124 (H-Galden 1040x) HG-11 CHF2OCF2OC2F4OCHF2 1,870
HFE-236ca12 (HG-10) CHF2OCF2OCHF2 2,800
HFE-338pcc13 (HG-01) CHF2OCF2CF2OCHF2 1,500
HFE-347mmy1 (CF3)2CFOCH3 343
2,2,3,3,3-pentafluoropropanol CF3CF2CH2OH 42
bis(trifluoromethyl)-methanol (CF3)2CHOH 195
HFE-227ea CF3CHFOCF3 1,540
HFE-236ea2 (desfluoran) CHF2OCHFCF3 989
HFE-236fa CF3CH2OCF3 487
HFE-245fa1 CHF2CH2OCF3 286
HFE 263fb2 CF3CH2OCH3 11
HFE-329 mcc2 CHF2CF2OCF2CF3 919
HFE-338 mcf2 CF3CH2OCF2CF3 552
HFE-338mmz1 (CF3)2CHOCHF2 380
HFE-347 mcf2 CHF2CH2OCF2CF3 374
HFE-356 mec3 CH3OCF2CHFCF3 101
HFE-356mm1 (CF3)2CHOCH3 27
HFE-356pcf2 CHF2CH2OCF2CHF2 265
HFE-356pcf3 CHF2OCH2CF2CHF2 502
HFE 365 mcf3 CF3CF2CH2OCH3 11
HFE-374pc2 CHF2CF2OCH2CH3 557
  - (CF2)4CH (OH)- 73

Other perfluorinated compounds

Chemical name Chemical formula Global warming potential
perfluoropolymethylisopropyl-ether (PFPMIE) CF3OCF(CF3)CF2OCF2OCF3 10,300
nitrogen trifluoride NF3 17,200
trifluoromethyl sulphur pentafluoride SF5CF3 17,700
perfluorocyclopropane c-C3F6 17,340
Published 7 February 2019
Last updated 11 February 2019 + show all updates
  1. Added a list of common mixtures

  2. First published.