SULFUR HEXAFLUORIDE (SF6)

Colorless, odorless, nonflammable, nontoxic gas, five times heavier than air. Sulfur hexafluoride has excellent dielectric properties almost three times better than air and nitrogen. It works well as an arc quencher in circuit breakers and electrical switch gear. However, SF6 is the most potent greenhouse gas known. It is 23,900 times more effective than carbon dioxide at trapping infrared radiation from the atmosphere.

OSHA Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL):

General Industry: 1000 ppm, 6000 mg/m3

Construction Industry: 1000 ppm, 6000 mg/m3 TWA

Health Effects: Apparent low toxicity (HE19); Asphyxiant (HE17)