Recovery/Recharge and Recycle System for Bromochlorodi-fluoromethane (HALON 1211)

The Air Force has an extensive inventory of Halon fire extinguishers, all of which require service and maintenance. When these operations are performed, halon is vented to the atmosphere, resulting in an estimated loss of up to 250,000 pounds of halon per year at a value approaching 500,000. Additionally, these emissions have a significant impact on stratospheric ozone. This project developed a rechargerecovery system for Halon 1211 to move the agent between vessels without venting, and to simultaneously determine the quality of the halon and remove contaminants. The project was accomplished in two phases. Phase I included a review of the commercial market and a summarization of available components. Phase II involved design, assembly, and testing. Over 200 transfer and recovery tests were performed on the prototype unit. The results of this effort are a prototype rechargerecovery unit for Halon 1211, operation and maintenance procedures, and a purchase description for use by the Air Force in procurement activities.