Refrigeration is crucial to the food sector. Food products must be constantly kept under certain temperatures to ensure quality and safety. The heat transfer fluid or refrigerant is a fundamental component of any refrigeration system. The refrigerant is cooled through compression and then sent to pass through the heat-absorbing elements inside the refrigeration chamber. Heat is transferred from the air to the refrigerant. The air inside the refrigeration chamber cools down and the refrigerant warms up. The warm refrigerant then goes through the compressor and condenser to cool it down and the cycle repeats itself over and over to keep the temperature inside the chamber within the desired values.
While refrigeration systems are built for reliability, failures can and do happen. A leak within the heat-absorbing elements can cause the refrigerant to be released to the refrigeration chamber and contaminating any contents in it.
For safety, refrigerant used for food application must be non-toxic. Potassium acetate-based refrigerants are primarily used for food refrigeration applications. Potassium acetate is safe for food. In fact, it is a popular food preservative.
The refrigerant must also be colored so that it is easily detected when there is contamination. Refrigerants come in different colors. For food application, most refrigerants are blue-colored. The color makes it easy to detect contamination and also makes finding the source of leak easier.
