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Chemours R410A replacement to be R452B

Lennox-rooftop
Performance tests with XL55 have also been conducted on a Lennox rooftop packaged air conditioner

USA: The Chemours low GWP refrigerant touted as a competitor to R32 in air conditioners has been provisionally assigned the ASHRAE number R452B.

Final approval and assignment of the ASHRAE classification is expected in June 2016, after Chemours’ Opteon XL55 successfully completed  ANSI/ASHRAE flammability and toxicology testing.

Originally developed as DR-55, Opteon XL55 has been recommended for an A2L safety classification. Like R32, it is designed as a replacement for R410A.

A blend of R32, R125 and R1234yf, XL55 has a GWP of 675. It has been said to exhibit lower discharge temperatures and a lower flammability than its rival R32. 

Chemours says it believes that XL55 delivers an optimal balance of performance, safety and design compatibility to replace R410A in air conditioning, chiller and heat pump applications.

“The preliminary ASHRAE classification of Opteon XL55 is an exciting next step toward providing the industry with a safe and sustainable low GWP replacement for R-410A,” said Joseph Martinko, global business manager, Opteon products. “Successful completion of the flammability and toxicology testing review means that Opteon XL55 commercialisation for the HVAC market is now on the horizon.”  

Chemours initially unveiled Opteon XL55 in a Trane chiller at the International Congress of Refrigeration show in Yokohama, Japan, last year. Trane is said to be planning to have systems available using XL55 within the next twelve months.

Related stories:

Chiller shown using new R410A replacement – January 25, 2016
USA: A US manufacturer is to exhibit a ductless air-cooled water chiller using Opteon XL55, a lower GWP replacement for R410A, at the 2016 AHR Expo which opens today. Read more…

DR-55 is 5% better as drop-in – September 16, 2015
USA: Chemours R410A replacement DR-55 is reported to have performed well in high ambient drop-in tests on a R410A rooftop air conditioner. Read more…

Is DR-55 best option to replace R410A? – September 2, 2015
USA: Chemours has unveiled further details of a new refrigerant blend to rival R32 in the search for a lower GWP alternative to R410A in air conditioning systems. Read more…

What future for R410A? – August 26, 2015
Interesting new low GWP alternative refrigerants, combined with an expected relaxation of charge limits on flammable refrigerants, suggest that the days of R410A being the commercial air conditioning refrigerant of choice could soon be numbered. Read more…

Trane debuts R410A replacement – August 16, 2015
JAPAN: A Trane air-cooled chiller employing a new low-GWP refrigerant replacement for R410A is to be presented at this week’s IIR conference in Yokohama. Read more…

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