Chemours and Honeywell in reclaim pact
16th November 2022
USA: Rival refrigerant manufacturers Chemours and Honeywell have announced a new pilot scheme to “enable” qualified companies to recycle and reclaim their R404A replacement gases R448A and R449A.
The two refrigerants are very similar in composition but with far lower GWPs than R404A, the refrigerant they are designed to replace in existing refrigeration systems. Both are blends of four refrigerants R32, R125, R134a and R1234yf in slightly different proportions with the Honeywell gas also containing a small amount (7%) of R1234ze(E).
Marketed by Honeywell as Solstice N40, R448A has a GWP of 1273, while Chemours’ R449A, also known as Opteon XP40, has a GWP of 1397.
The reason for the scheme is not fully explained, but it is thought to be a move to protect the two companies’ patents which cover both the blends and the HFO components.
In a joint press release, Chemours and Honeywell insist that they are uniquely positioned to support and license qualified companies to recycle and reclaim their patented fluorochemical refrigerants.
“To ensure the integrity of these operations and the safety and quality of the resulting R448A and R449A, important criteria have been established for potential program participants including audit requirements and strict record-keeping,” the companies say.
Alisha Bellezza, Chemours’ president of Thermal & Specialised Solutions, said the scheme would give the market peace of mind that reclaimed and recycled HFO refrigerants were safe, legal and meet stringent industry standards.
“These patented products, R448A and R449A, were invented and developed to bring efficient, low-global-warming-potential solutions to the market, and this program ensures that qualified recyclers and reclaimers utilise product that originated from an authorised source to be legally available for sale,” she said.
