In Refrigerant Blends When Does Fractionation Occur?

Fractionation is the change in composition of a blend because one or more of the components is lost or removed faster than the other(s). Two basic behaviors of refrigerant molecules help explain why fractionation occurs.

Which refrigerant can fractionate?

When temperature glide is high the refrigerants can separate during evaporation or condensation. This changes the composition of the resulting vapor and liquid. This separation is called: “FRACTIONATION” R-410A Page 6 R-410A The temperature glide of R-410A is very low, thus it acts very much like a single refrigerant.

How are refrigerant blends charged?

What is the proper charging method for refrigerant blends? ... Somewhere between the cylinder and the compressor the liquid refrigerant should be flashed to vapor to avoid slugging. This can be done, for example, by just cracking open the valve on the gauge set while charging.