DuPont led the transition away from chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) refrigerants by introducing better, non-ozone-depleting hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) in 1991. DuPont maintains that HFCs currently represent the best balance of performance, cost, safety and environmental properties for refrigeration and air conditioning, and actively supports HFC responsible use programs to ensure current refrigerants are used safely and responsibly and are reclaimed and recycled to minimize potential sources of emissions.
As the world moves forward to address the challenge of climate change, efficient, safe and cost-effective refrigerants will be needed in a wide variety of applications. And, although we believe that HFCs meet these criteria and their emissions to the atmosphere can be reduced for most applications, we understand that global demand for cooling will continue to expand. Even with a focus on emissions reductions, lower GWP alternatives may eventually be needed to reduce contributions to climate change.
DuPont is developing new refrigerant compounds as part of its ongoing program to seek longer term sustainable alternative solutions for refrigerants that have high global warming potential (GWP), and are used widely in automotive air conditioning, home refrigerators, supermarkets and store display cases as well as in building and home air conditioning systems. DuPont Fluorochemicals has identified proprietary refrigerants that have a reduced global warming potential (GWP) and are suitable for use in future automotive air conditioning systems.
The new DuPont refrigerants, which are now undergoing performance, toxicity and safety testing, are expected to be non-flammable and have significantly lower GWP than current refrigerants. They also are expected to offer similar performance to HFC-134a and not require a complete redesign of current automotive air conditioning systems. DuPont is currently working with key players in the industry to ensure that solutions under development will meet the needs of the industry.
DuPont expects its leading next generation refrigerant candidate for automotive air conditioning, “DP-1,” to become the preferred alternative refrigerant for automotive air conditioning due to its very low GWP and zero ozone depletion potential. It is non-flammable and also has performed well in critical tests to date involving thermal stability, materials compatibility, lubricant miscibility and toxicity. One of the reasons for selecting “DP-1” as the DuPont leading refrigerant candidate is that “DP-1” is expected to be suitable for use in all climates and in all vehicles, as well as its potential to enable a cost-effective transition away from HFC-134a for the entire automotive air conditioning value chain globally.
The new refrigerants for automotive air conditioning systems are expected to be commercialized within three to five years, in time to meet the timeline set by the pending European Union F-Gas regulation. The F-Gas requirements call for the phaseout of hydrofluorocarbon HFC-134a in all new vehicle models beginning in 2011, and in all new cars by 2017. It also calls for the replacement of HFC-134a with alternatives that have GWPs lower than 150.
DuPont plans to continue its program to seek longer term sustainable alternative solutions for refrigerants that have high global warming potential (GWP) in other air conditioning and refrigeration applications, including home refrigerators, supermarkets and store display cases and in building and home air conditioning systems.
Partnerships: Through responsible-use programs such as the Improved Mobile Air Conditioning (I-MAC) Cooperative Research Program, DuPont is working with stakeholders in industry to minimize the environmental impact of current automotive air conditioning systems by improving their energy efficiency and reducing refrigerant emissions.
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