Recent Developments on Refrigerants

Abstract

The realization of the contribution of the synthetic HFC-refrigerants to global warming has resulted in a search for new, environmentally benign refrigerants. This paper intends to give a background to the present situation on the refrigerant market and to describe the presently ongoing development. It is believed that natural refrigerants, i.e. ammonia, hydrocarbons and carbon dioxide, will have a natural place in the refrigeration industry in the future. However, synthetic refrigerants with low or no flammability will continue to be used in many applications due to safety concerns. In the near future, the synthetic refrigerants which are most probable to be used are R1234yf, R1234ze(E), R32 and R152a, or blends with these refrigerants as constituents.