AS6886A Counterfeit Materiel: Assuring Acquisition and Use of Authentic and Conforming Refrigerant

Counterfeiting of refrigerants has seen a dramatic rise over the past decades. This rise can be partially attributed to global restrictions placed on production and use of refrigerants by the 1987 Montreal Protocol, the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, and the 2016 Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol [1, 2]. These protocols and the amendment regulate the gradual phase-out and strict regulations on the use of refrigerants with high Ozone Depletion Potential (ODP) and high Global Warming Potential (GWP). These protocols require that older refrigerants be replaced with more environmentally friendly products and necessitate redesigned, updated, or replaced equipment to operate efficiently with these new refrigerants.