IEC 60480 GUIDELINES FOR THE CHECKING AND TREATMENT OF SULFUR HEXAFLUORIDE (SF6)
IEC 60480 GUIDELINES FOR THE CHECKING AND TREATMENT OF SULFUR HEXAFLUORIDE (SF6) TAKEN FROM ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT AND SPECIFICATION FOR ITS RE-USE
1 Scope
This International Standard concerns the re-use of sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) after removal from electrical equipment (for maintenance, or at the end of life).

This standard recommends procedures for reclaiming used SF6 and for restoring its quality to an acceptable level, which would allow the filling of new or existing electrical equipment.

This standard provides guidance to operational and maintenance personnel for the testing and safe handling of used SF6.

2 Normative references
The following referenced documents are indispensable for the application of this document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For undated references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.

IEC 60050(191):1990, International Electrotechnical Vocabulary (IEV) - Chapter 191: Dependability and quality of service

IEC 60050(212):1990, International Electrotechnical Vocabulary (IEV) - Chapter 212: Insulating solids, liquids, gases

IEC 60050(441):1984, International Electrotechnical Vocabulary (IEV) - Chapter 441: Switchgear, controlgear and fuses

IEC 60050(826):1982, International Electrotechnical Vocabulary (IEV) - Chapter 826: Electrical installations of buildings

IEC 60376:1971, Specification and acceptance of new sulfur hexafluoride

IEC 60376A:1973, First supplement, Specification and acceptance of new sulfur hexafluoride - Section Thirteen: Mineral oil content

IEC 60376B:1974, Second hexafluoride - Clause 26

IEC 60694:1996, Common specifications for high-voltage switchgear and controlgear standards

IEC 61634:1995, High-voltage switchgear and controlgear - Use and handling of sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) in high-voltage switchgear and controlgear

3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the terms and definitions contained in IEC 60050(191), IEC 60050(212), IEC 60050(441) and IEC 60050(826), as well as the following, apply.

3.1 General terms
3.1.1 electrical equipment
any item used for such purposes as generation, conversion, transmission, distribution or utilization of electrical energy, such as machines, transformers, apparatus, measuring instruments, protective devices, wiring materials, appliances

3.1.2 enclosure
part providing protection of equipment against certain external influences and, in any direction, against direct contact

3.1.3 maintenance
combination of all technical and administrative actions, including supervision actions, intended to retain an item in, or restore it to, a state in which it can perform a required function

3.2 Material aspects
3.2.1 insulating material
solid with negligible low electric conductivity, used to separate conducting parts of different electrical potentials

3.2.2 insulating gas
gas with negligible low electric conductivity, used to separate conducting parts of different electrical potentials

3.2.3 electrode
conducting part intended as a conducting interface with a medium of different conductivity

3.2.4 reservoir
storage container

3.3 Environmental aspects
3.3.1 new sulfur hexafluoride
SF6 complying with IEC 60376, and never used previously

3.3.2 used sulfur hexafluoride
SF6 introduced into electrical equipment

3.3.3 unused sulfur hexafluoride
SF6 never been introduced into electrical equipment (e.g. gas having been transferred into a storage tank)

3.3.4 recycling
operation to pass through a series of changes or treatment so as to return to a previous stage in a cyclic process

3.3.5 reclaiming
elimination of soluble and insoluble contaminants from an insulating liquid or gas by chemical adsorption means, in addition to mechanical means, in order to restore properties as close as possible to the original values or to the levels proposed in this standard

3.3.6 solid adsorbent
solid substances that can be used for adsorbing impurities

3.3.7 reclaimer
device for the purification of used gas for the purpose of re-use on-site

3.3.8 re-use
use of reclaimed gas for filling new or existing electrical equipment

3.3.9 reclaimed gas
gas that has been processed by a reclaimer

3.3.10 recovery
transfer of gas from electrical power equipment into a reclaimer or storage container

3.3.11 final disposal
transformation of gas into substances which can either be used for other purposes or which can be disposed of in an environmentally compatible way