EPA approves low GWP HFCs

USA: The EPA has announced that low GWP alternative refrigerants R450A, R448A, R513A and R449A are to be approved for more uses.

The decision, announced yesterday alongside the EPA announcement to ban certain high GWP refrigerants from 2017 (Delayed HFC bans to become law – Cooling Post), sees R450A being cleared for use in new vending machines and R448A, R513A and R449A being SNAP-listed for use in certain refrigeration and air conditioning applications. In addition, the low GWP foam-blowing agent HFO1336mzz(Z) will also be approved.

R450A

Marketed by Honeywell as Solstice N-13, R450A is a non-flammable blend of R134a and R1234ze(E) with a GWP of 601. It was previously SNAP-listed in October last year as acceptable for use as a refrigerant in several refrigeration and air conditioning end-uses.

R448A

Honeywell’s non-flammable refrigerant sold under the trade name Solstice N40 is deemed acceptable as a substitute for use in in both new and retrofit commercial ice machines, refrigerated transport, stand-alone retail food refrigeration equipment, supermarket systems and remote condensing units.

R448A is a multi-component blend comprising R32, R125, R134a, R1234yf, and R1234ze(E). It has a GWP of about 1,390.

R513A

Marketed by Chemours as XP10 as a replacement for R134a, R513A is to be listed as suitable for a host of new and retrofit applications. These include centrifugal chillers, cold storage warehouses, commercial ice machines, household refrigerators and freezers, industrial process air-conditioning and refrigeration, reciprocating, screw and scroll chillers, refrigerated transport, stand-alone low and medium temperature retail food refrigeration, supermarket systems and retail remote condensing units, vending machines and water coolers.

A binary mixture of R134a (44%) and R1234yf (56%), it has a GWP of around 630.

R449A

Chemours’ flagship low GWP, non-flammable replacement for R404A and R507A, R449A is to be listed as acceptable for new and retrofit commercial ice machines, refrigerated transport, stand-alone low-temperature retail food refrigeration, supermarket systems and remote condensing units.

Marketed under the trade name Opteon XP 40, R449A is a blend of R32, R125, R134a, and 1234yf.

Related stories:

Low GWP refrigerant R450A to be SNAP-listed – October 12, 2014
USA: The EPA is to list refrigerant R450A, a substitute for R134a, under the USA’s SNAP programme. The listing would also see CO2 being accepted for use in refrigerated transport applications. Read more…

Spanish store first to test new R404A “drop-in” – October 5, 2014
SPAIN: A low GWP refrigerant, originally developed as a replacement for R134a in chillers, is being tested as a “drop-in” replacement for R404A in a Spanish supermarket. Read more…