What is fractionation in a refrigerant blend?
Substitute refrigerants and oils · EPA 608 Core. The correct answer, and the reasoning behind it.
Why there are no true drop-in replacements, and fractionation in blends.
The question
What is fractionation in a refrigerant blend?
- The oil separating from the refrigerant in the crankcase
- The blend's components leaking out at different ratesCorrect answer
- The refrigerant freezing at the metering device
- The blend breaking down into chlorine in sunlight
Why “The blend's components leaking out at different rates” is correct
Zeotropic blends are made of several refrigerants with different boiling points. When such a blend leaks, the components can escape at different rates, changing the composition of what is left in the system. That change is called fractionation.
Source: EPA: Test Topics
Why the other answers are wrong
- The oil separating from the refrigerant in the crankcase — Oil separation is a different issue from blend composition.
- The refrigerant freezing at the metering device — Freezing at the metering device is a moisture problem.
- The blend breaking down into chlorine in sunlight — Blends of HFCs contain no chlorine to release.
Practice more of this
More EPA 608 Core practice questions, or see every EPA 608 practice test.
Unofficial, not affiliated with the EPA or any EPA-approved certifying organization. Questions are original practice written from public EPA material, not real exam questions.