Grenfell Tower - The Disaster
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Grenfell Tower
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Grenfell Tower Disaster
Flammable 🔥 Refrigerants were used:
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The event of the Grenfell Tower Disaster
14 June 2017 - Which led to the tragic death of 72 people due to manufacturers used flammable🔥 refrigerants in the manufacture of cladding insulation and in the refrigerator cooling circuits
The fire started by a Hotpoint / Whirlpool refrigerator-freezer insulation foam produced using butane (A3 class highly flmmable and explosive 🔥💥) Blowing Agent3 ignited by a capacitor spark (Intertek report p 8-12), and the refrigerator cooling circuit charged with A3 class1 (highly flammable and explosive 🔥💥) R600a refrigerant EXPLODING and spreading the fire to the building cladding4
"Click on images to see more
The culprit materials: Flammable 🔥 Refrigerantsa
- A3 classa Highly flammable & Explosive 🔥💥R600 (Butane) refrigerant as a Blowing Agent3 used in the manufacture of Refrigerator/freezer insulation. Caught fire (see Test report page 11-12) & (Which? report)
- A3 classa Highly flammable & Explosive 🔥💥 R600a (Isobutane) used as refrigerant (known as coolant or gas) by Whirlpool/Hotpoint Refrigerator/freezer DX (Direct Expansion) circuit. Exploded after the flammable🔥 insulation caught fire from a capacitor spark, and spread fire to cladding insulation. (see Test report page 11-12)
Other worldwide tower disasters
Recent fire disasters due to combustable cladding insulation using flammable🔥 refrigerants as a blowing agent in the manufacture of cladding insulation:
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| 14 June 2017 London - click | 10 May 2021 London - click |
List of high-rise facade fires due to 🔥 flammable insulation WIKIPEDIA
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References:
aA3 class Flammable & Explosive Refrigerant🔥💥
R600a A3 class refrigerant was introduced to domestic refrigerators & freezers in 2000 - 2004 by some manufacturers replacing A1 class non-flammable been around (since 1928) (R12 or R134a ) ignoring warnings from industry & UN Fact Sheet13 . A3 class was introduced to domestic refrigerators and as a blowing agent in 2005 - 2015 aimed at removing Ozon depleteing refrigerants (CFC & HCFC).without realising that CFC & HCFC are NON_FLAMMABLE. There are 3 classes of flammability:
1 Refrigerant classification
There are over 300 types of refrigerants in THREE Safety Classifications with regards to flammability, in accordance with ISO 817:2014 (E) & ASHRAE34 International Standard clearly indicate that. A1 class non-flammable, A2/A2L flammable🔥 & A3 Highly flammable🔥💥.
2 Greenwashing
"Greenwashing is a deceptive form of marketing that claims a company's products, policies and goals are environmentally friendly and therefore do less damage to nature, with an underlying purpose to increase profits"
3 Blowing Agent
Blowing agent is a substance which is capable of producing a cellular structure via a foaming process in a variety of materials that undergo hardening or phase transition, such as polymers, plastics, and metals. They are typically applied when the blown material is in a liquid stage *Note: Use of class O materials is an old out of dated national product classification (see more). Must use BS EN 13501-1 (class A1 non-combustible and non-flammable or class A2🔥 non-combustible BUT, flammable). (see UNEP - Fact sheet )
4Building Cladding : Composite cladding typically consists of panels 3–5 millimetres (0.12–0.20 in) thick made of a core material sandwiched between two aluminium faces. Grenfell Tower was clad with composite panels with a polyethylene core which contributed to the fire; these panels cost about £2 less than ones with incombustible core.
5Business Cartel ; Daikin Industries/ Chemical have patented (approx 300+ patents) A2L flammable 🔥R32 refrigerant and components used in small splits air conditioning equipment and licensed the patents to Japanese manufacturers (such as Mitsubishi Electric, Fugitsu, Toshiba, etc), Korean manufacturers (LG & Samsung) & Chinease AC manufacturers, conditional on withdrawing current R410A non-flammable in small splits (refrigerant charge less than 3kg) and not mentioning that R32 is flammable 🔥 in their promotional materials or website. This has been applied to UK & and some EU but not the rest of the world. Daikin is and international manufacturer and claim meeting international standards & safety obligations. R410A is an A1 class non-flammable refrigerant is the dominant refrigerant in the world while 🔥 R32 has been since 2015.
See more regarding A2L flammable R32 refrigerant used in Air Conditioning equipment (click here) 