Which Standard Governs Each Step of a Refrigerant Cylinder? — One-Page Map
· QUZHOU HUAFU NEW REFRIGERATION MATERIAL CO., LTD.
One page, one question: which framework fixes which part of a refrigerant cylinder.
Which standard governs each step of a refrigerant cylinder?
There is no single international standard for a refrigerant cylinder — each stage is fixed by a different instrument, and they are not interchangeable.
| # | Stage | Governing framework / standard | What it fixes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cylinder shell — construction | GB/T 5099.1-2017 (seamless) and GB/T 5100-2020 (welded), China; ISO 4706 (welded, international) | Steel grade, wall thickness, design and test pressure |
| 2 | Cylinder valve | ISO 10297 | Valve design and type testing |
| 3 | Valve outlet — North America | CGA V-1 | Numbered outlets — CGA 320 for the R-12 / R-134a class, CGA 660 on R-22 family cylinders |
| 4 | Valve outlet — Europe | DIN 477-1 | Threaded outlets by gas family; non-flammable refrigerant outlet = No. 6 (W 21.8 x 1/14, right-hand) |
| 5 | Valve outlet — United Kingdom | BS 341 Part 3:2002 | Numbered outlets; No. 7 = flammable refrigerants (G 5/8 in, left-hand) |
| 6 | Valve outlet — Australia / New Zealand | AS 2473.2:2015 | Numbered outlets; Type 34 (G 3/4 in) = R134a |
| 7 | Valve outlet — Japan and Taiwan, China | JIS B 8246 | Outlets quoted by JIS number |
| 8 | Valve outlet — China domestic | GB/T 15383-2011 | GB outlet types and dimensions |
| 9 | Filling limit — United States | 49 CFR 173.304a | Filling ratio / density per gas, referenced to 131 F (55 C) |
| 10 | Filling rules — China domestic | GB/T 14193.1-2025 with TSG 23-2021 | Filling of liquefied-gas cylinders; reference = maximum service temperature marked on the cylinder |
| 11 | Filling limit — sea transport | IMDG Code | Liquefied-gas filling limits per gas for the voyage |
| 12 | Periodic inspection and requalification | ISO 18119 / ISO 10460 (international); TSG 23-2021 (China) | Inspection intervals, test methods, requalification |
| 13 | Sea transport | IMDG Code | Classification, packing, segregation, documentation |
| 14 | Air transport | IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations | Pressure limits, quantities, packing |
| 15 | Road and rail transport | ADR; 49 CFR in the United States | Filling limits, marking, documentation — national variants apply |
| 16 | Storage in the warehouse | Jurisdiction fire-safety regulation, with segregation principles from IMDG / ADR | Which gases may be stored together, and at what separation |
What the table does, and does not, say
The specification has more than one layer: a cylinder is usable when the shell, the valve, the outlet, the fill and the transport documents all belong to the framework in force for its destination market. Satisfying one framework does not satisfy another — a CGA outlet number is not a DIN number, and the 49 CFR fill limit is not the Chinese fill rule.
How to use it on an enquiry
- Name the destination market.
- List the frameworks that apply there — shell, outlet, fill limit, transport mode.
- Put the outlet standard and number, and the cylinder test pressure class, into the purchase specification. “R134a cylinder” alone is incomplete.
Where our own documents sit
Quzhou Huafu stores, fills and repacks cylinders; the fill record and the marks that accompany a shipment — water capacity, tare weight, test pressure, UN number and proper shipping name, declared net weight — are issued with the shipping documents, not on the transport papers.
Related reading: how the fill limit is calculated, valve outlets by market, retest and requalification.
Sources
- CGA V-1 (Compressed Gas Association, US); DIN 477-1 (DIN, Germany); BS 341-3:2002 (BSI, UK); AS 2473.2:2015 (Standards Australia); JIS B 8246 (JSA); GB/T 15383-2011 (SAMR/SAC, China) — valve outlet connections.
- GB/T 5099.1-2017 and GB/T 5100-2020, ISO 4706 — cylinder construction; ISO 10297 — cylinder valves; ISO 18119 and ISO 10460 — periodic inspection and testing.
- GB/T 14193.1-2025 and TSG 23-2021 (SAMR, China) — filling rules and periodic inspection cycles.
- 49 CFR Part 173, including 173.304a (US DOT / PHMSA); IMDG Code (IMO); IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations (IATA); ADR (UNECE).
- Outlet numbers are quoted from the outlet tables of the standards above, cross-checked against connector catalogues published by GCE, Cavagna and Emerson.
FAQ
Is a cylinder that is compliant in one country automatically compliant in another? No. The frameworks are separate instruments and not translations of one another — the shell, the valve outlet and the fill limit can each differ. A cylinder assembled for one market has to be checked against the framework in force for the destination.
Which framework fixes the fill limit for a gas? The transport framework in force for the route: 49 CFR for the United States, the IMDG Code for sea, ADR for road and rail, and GB/T 14193.1-2025 with TSG 23-2021 for China domestic filling. Cylinder construction standards do not set the fill limit.
Do the outlet numbers translate between frameworks? No. CGA V-1, DIN 477-1, BS 341-3, AS 2473.2, JIS B 8246 and GB/T 15383-2011 each number their own threads. A CGA number is not a DIN number.
Prepared by Quzhou Huafu New Refrigeration Material Co., Ltd — a warehousing and filling operation (storage and cylinder filling/repacking), not a manufacturer. Published 2026-10-12.
Need current specs, quota status, or a mixed-load quote for Which Standard Governs Each Step of a Refrigerant Cylinder? — One-Page Map? Contact tom@hufluor.com with your spec & destination port.