Understanding the Refrigerant "R" Nomenclature

The chemical names for the fluorinated refrigerants are long and cumbersome. A numbering system was developed

by Chemours to identify the various products. The number was originally part of the registered trade name but was

later donated to the industry by the Chemours Company to avoid confusion and the proliferation of different

numbers for the same product.

The number assigned to each refrigerant is related to its chemical composition and the system has been formalized

as ASHRAE Standard 34. The numbering system rules are as follows:

1. The first digit on the right is the number of fluorine (F) atoms.

2. The second digit from the right is one more than the number of hydrogen (H) atoms.

3. The third digit from the right is one less than the number of carbon (C) atoms. When this digit is zero it is

omitted from the number.

4. The fourth digit from the right is equal to the number of unsaturated carbon-carbon bonds in the compound.

When this digit is zero, it is omitted from the number.

5. The number of chlorine (Cl) atoms is found by subtracting the sum of the fluorine (F), bromine (Br - if present)

and hydrogen (H) atoms from the total number that can be attached to carbon. With one carbon, the total number

of attached atoms is four. With two carbons, the total number is six and with three carbons, the total number is

eight.

6. In some cases, part or all the chlorine atoms are replaced with bromine and the letter B is used in the number.

The number following the letter B shows the number of bromine atoms present.

7. Blends are designated by their respective refrigerant numbers and weight proportions. rest of text okay, add

this. To differentiate among blends having same components with different proportions, an uppercase letter shall

be added to designation. For example, R-402A and R-402B.

8. Zeotropic blends that have been commercialized shall be assigned an identifying number in the 400 series. This

number designates which components are in the mixture but not the amount of each. The amount of each
component is designated as described in 7 above. For example, the 60/40 weight % mixture of R-12 and R-114

would be R-400 (60/40).

9. Azeotropic compounds that have been commercialized shall be assigned an identifying number in the 500 series.

It is not necessary to cite the percentages parenthetically once a 500 series is assigned.

10. The 600 series has been assigned to miscellaneous organic compounds. Within the organic 600 series, the

assignments are serial.

11. The 700 series has been assigned to inorganic compounds with relative molecular masses less than 100. Within

the 700 series, the relative molecular mass of the compounds is added to 700 to arrive at the identifying

refrigerant numbers. When two or more inorganic refrigerants have the same relative molecular masses, uppercase

letters (i.e., A, B, C, etc.) are added to distinguish among them.

12. The 1000 series has been assigned to unsaturated organic compounds.
Numbering scheme for ozone-depleting substances and their substitutes
Various ozone-depleting substances (CFCs, HCFCs, HBFCs, and halons) and their substitutes (HFCs,
HCs, and PFCs) are numbered according to a system devised several decades ago and now used
worldwide. Although it may seem confusing, in fact it provides very complex information about molecular
structure and also easily distinguishes among various classes of chemicals. For example, it is not intuitive
that 1,1-dichloro-1-fluoroethane (CFCl2-CH3) is an ozone-depleting substance. The designation HCFC-
141b, in contrast, immediately conveys its ozone-depleting nature while concisely describing its structure.

Prefixes

The first step, and one that will provide a valuable way to check the results, is to understand the prefixes
CFC, HCFC, HFC, PFC, and Halon. In CFCs and HCFCs, the first "C" is for chlorine (atomic symbol: Cl),
and in all of them, "F" is for fluorine (atomic symbol: F), "H" is for hydrogen (atomic symbol: H) and the
final "C" is for carbon (atomic symbol: C). It is the chlorine that makes a substance ozone-depleting;
CFCs and HCFCs are a threat to the ozone layer but HFCs are not. PFC is a special prefix meaning
"perfluorocarbon". "Per" means "all," so perfluorocarbons have all bonds occupied by fluorine atoms.
Finally, halons are a general term for compounds that contain C, F, Cl, H, and bromine (atomic symbol:
Br). Halon numbers are different from the others and will be discussed separately. As you decode the
structure, double-check the results against the prefix. For example, an HFC contains no chlorine, so your
results should not show any Cl atoms.

Prefix Meaning Atoms in the Molecule

CFC chlorofluorocarbon Cl, F, C
HCFC hydrochlorofluorocarbon H, Cl, F, C
HBFC hydrobromofluorocarbon H, Br, F, C
HFC hydrofluorocarbon H, F, C
HC hydrocarbon H, C
PFC perfluorocarbon F, C
Halon N/A Br, Cl (in some but not all), F, H (in some but not all), C

Compounds used as refrigerants may be described using either the appropriate prefix above or with the
prefixes "R-" or "Refrigerant." Thus, CFC-12 may also be written as R-12 or Refrigerant 12.

Blends of refrigerants are assigned numbers serially, with the first zeotropic blend numbered R-400 and
the first azeotropic blend numbered R-500. Blends that contain the same components but in differering
percentages are distinguished by capital letters. For example, R-401A contains 53% HCFC-22, 13%
HFC-152a, and 34% HCFC-124, but R-401B contains 61% HCFC-22, 11% HFC-152a, and 28% HCFC-
124.
Decoding the Number (Other than Halons)

Now that we understand that the prefix describes what kinds of atoms are in a particular molecule, the
next step is to calculate the number of each type of atom. The key to the code is to add 90 to the number;
the result shows the number of C, H, and F atoms. For HCFC-141b:

141 + 90 = 2 3 1
#C #H #F

One more piece of information is needed to decipher the number of Cl atoms. All of these chemicals are
saturated; that is, they contain only single bonds. The number of bonds available in a carbon-based
molecule is 2C + 2. Thus, for HCFC-141b, which has 2 carbon atoms, there are 6 bonds. Cl atoms
occupy bonds remaining after the F and H atoms. So HCFC-141b has 2C, 3H, 1F, and 2Cl:

HCFC-141b = C2H3FCl2

Notice that the HCFC designation (h ydro c hloro f luoro c arbon) is a good double-check on the
decoding; this molecule does, indeed, contain H, Cl, F, and C. The "b" at the end describes how these
atoms are arranged; different "isomers" contain the same atoms, but they are arranged differently. The
letter designation for isomers is discussed below.

Let's look at another example: HFC-134a.

134 + 90 = 2 2 4
#C #H #F
Again, there are 6 bonds. But in this case, there are no bonds left over after F and H, so there are no
chlorine atoms. Thus:
HFC-134a = C2H2F4

In this case, too, the prefix is accurate: this is an HFC (h ydro f luoro c arbon), so it contains only H, F,
and C, but no chlorine.

One final example: PFC-218.

218 + 90 = 3 0 8
#C #H #F

This time, there are 2 x 3 + 2 = 8 bonds. However, there are no bonds left over after F, so there are no
chlorine atoms or H atoms. Thus:
PFC-218 = C3F8

Once again, the prefix is accurate: this is a PFC (p er f luoro c arbon), so it contains only F, and C.

Note that at any molecule with only 1C (e.g., CFC-12) will have a 2-digit number, while those with 2C or
3C will have a 3-digit number.

Decoding the Number (Halons)

Halon numbers directly show the number of C, F, Cl, and Br atoms. The numbering scheme above does
not give a direct number for the number of Cl atoms, but that can be calculated. Similarly, Halon numbers
do not specify the number of H atoms directly. Note that you don't need to add anything to decode the
number:
Halon 1 2 1 1
#C #F #Cl #Br

For this molecule, there are 2 x 1 + 2 = 4 bonds, all of which are taken by Cl, F, and Br, leaving no room
for any H atoms. Thus:
Halon 1211 = CF2ClBr

Isomers

Isomers of a given compound contain the same atoms but they are arranged differently. Isomers usually
have different properties; only one isomer may be useful. So far, we've deciphered the "HCFC" and the
"141" of something like HCFC-141b, and we now know the specific atoms in the molecule. The remaining
piece of the puzzle is determined the arrangement for a isomer. Since all the compounds under
discussion are based on carbon chains (1-3 carbon atoms attached in a line of single bonds: e.g., C - C -
C), the naming system is based on how H, F, Cl, and Br atoms are attached to that chain.

A single C atom can only bond with 4 other atoms in one way, so there are no isomers of those
compounds. For two-carbon molecules, a single lower-case letter following the number designates the
isomer. For three-carbon molecules, a lower-case two-letter code serves this purpose.

2-Carbon (Ethane-Derived) Chains

First, consider two-carbon molecules. For example, HCFC-141, HCFC-141a, and HCFC-141b all have
the same atoms (2C, 3H, 1F, and 2Cl), but they are organized differently. To determine the letter, total the
atomic weights of the atoms bonded to each of the carbon atoms. The arrangement that most evenly
distributes atomic weights has no letter. The next most even distribution is the "a" isomer, the next is "b,"
etc. until no more isomers are possible.

A common way of writing isomers' structure is to group atoms according to the carbon atom with which
they bond. Thus, the isomers of HCFC-141 are:

HCFC-141: CHFCl - CH2Cl (atomic weights on the 2 carbons = 37.5 and 55.5)
HCFC-141a: CHCl2 - CH2F (atomic weights on the 2 carbons = 21 and 72)
HCFC-141b: CFCl2 - CH3 (atomic weights on the 2 carbons = 3 and 90)

For HFC-134, the isomers are:

HFC-134: CHF2 - CHF2

HFC-134a: CF3 - CH2F

Another way of writing out chemical structures is to specify, for each of the Cl, F, and Br atoms, the
ordinal number of the carbon to which they are bonded and to use numerical prefixes (2=di, 3=tri, 4=tetra,
5=penta, etc.) to specify the total number of each kind of atom. The suffix for the molecular name
depends on the number of carbons. Molecules with 1C end in "methane" (since there are no isomers of
methane-derived molecules, they have no letter designation), " 2C end in "ethane," and 3C end in
"propane." It is assumed that any bonds not occupied by Cl, F, or Br are occupied by H, so H atoms are
not specified. So, the isomers of HCFC-141 can be written as:
 HCFC-141: CHFCl - CH2Cl 1,2-dichloro-1-fluoroethane
HCFC-141a: CHCl2 - CH2F 1,1-dichloro-2-fluoroethane
HCFC-141b: CFCl2 - CH3 1,1-dichloro-1-fluoroethane

For HFC-134, the isomers are:

HFC-134: CHF2 - CHF2 1,1,2,2-tetrafluoroethane

HFC-134a: CF3 - CH2F 1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane

CFC-12 does not have any isomers, since it contains only 1C. In addition, there is no need to number the
carbons. Thus, its name is difluorodichloromethane.

3-Carbon (Propane-Derived) Chains

Molecules with 3C atoms are more complicated to name. The first letter designates the atoms attached to
the middle carbon atom, and the second letter designates decreasing symmetry in atomic weights of
atoms attached to the outside carbon atoms. Unlike 2C chains, however, the most symmetric distribution
is the "a" isomer, instead of omitting the letter entirely.

Atoms on Middle Carbon Code Letter

Cl2 a
Cl, F b
F2 c
Cl, H d
H, F e
H2 f

For example, HCFC-225ca is:

C3HF5Cl2 (3C = 8 bonds),

CF3 - CF2 - CHCl2, and
1,1,1,2,2-pentafluoro-3,3-dichloropropane

When no isomers are possible, no letters are used. For example, there is only one way to arrange 3C and
8F, so it is written as PFC-218 and not PFC-218ca

Source: US Environmental Protection Agency: Ozone Depletion.

Refrigerants

Most refrigerants used today are substances obtained by chemical synthesis and consequently have
ideal properties for the specific purpose. Many of these, however, have negative effects on the
environment, they tend to destroy the ozone layer (i.e. have a high ODP, Ozone Depletion Potential)
or directly contribute to the greenhouse effect (i.e. have a high GWP, Global Warming Potential).

Refrigerant nomenclature:

CFC = chlorofluorocarbon, high ODP

HCFC = hydrochlorofluorocarbon, low ODP, high GWP

HFC = hydrofluorocarbon, zero ODP, high GWP

PFC = perfluorocarbons,

HFO = hydrofluoroolefin, zero ODP, low GWP

HC = hydrocarbons, zero ODP, negligible GWP

Ammonia, CO2 = zero ODP, zero or negligible GWP

For this reason, many countries have already taken measures to prevent or limit the use of CFC and
HCFC refrigerants (Montreal Protocol, 1992) and are deciding on the future of HFCs in favour of
refrigerants with a low or zero ODP and GWP.

The latter include natural fluids such as carbon dioxide, ammonia, propane and other hydrocarbons.
Nonetheless, these are fluids not designed to be refrigerants and are hence less efficient than
synthetic refrigerants, as well as having certain negative characteristics, such as corrosiveness or
explosiveness. However, their low GWP and ODP levels mean they're bound to be the most widely
used refrigerants in the future.

Below is a list of the main refrigerants used in refrigeration:

CFC-12 (R12): one of the most widely used last century until being banned due to its high ODP
(starting from 1996), together with all CFCs.

HCFC-22 (R22): this combines excellent chemical and physical properties with high volumetric
performance, and has been used in many air-conditioning and refrigeration applications. Its ODP is
quite low (0.05) but not zero. For this reason, it was decided to phase it out starting in 2010, and
after 2015 it can no longer be manufactured nor regenerated.

HFC-134A (R134A): this has replaced CFC-12 in home refrigeration and car air-conditioners. Its
ODP is zero but its GWP is rather high. Due to its low operating pressure (2-3 times lower than all
other refrigerants), it's also used in large air-conditioning units with centrifugal compressors, but it's
not suitable for industrial refrigeration systems due to poor efficiency at low temperatures.

HFC-404A (R404A): this is a blend of three refrigerants that can replace R22 mainly in refrigeration
applications, especially at low temperatures, without needing to redesign the refrigeration units. It
has a high GWP (3780) and for this reason many countries have already decided to phase it out, a
process that will be extended across the entire European Union following revision of the F-gas
standard.

HFC-507A (R507A): this is a blend of two refrigerants that can replace R22, mainly for refrigeration
application, equivalent to HFC-404A in terms of both weaknesses, in particular the GWP (3900) and
intended use.

HFC-422A, 422D, 417A (R422A, R422D, R417A): these are blends of synthetic refrigerants with
non-negligible GWP levels intended to replace R22 where R404A is not ideal due to the problems
described above.
HFC-407F (R407F): this is another blend that's identical to R407C however with a different
proportion of components. It has a GWP of 1800 and is used to replace R22, R507A and R404A in
refrigeration applications.

HFC-410A (R410A): currently one of the most widely used solutions, this is a blend of two
refrigerants that can replace R22 in air-conditioning applications and, in the future, potentially in
refrigeration applications (replacing R404A), however requiring unit redesign due to the high
operating pressure (twice that of traditional refrigerants). Refrigerating performance is high.

HFO-R1234YF (R1234YF): this is a newly-devised refrigerant intended to replace R134A in car air-
conditioning systems. It has a very low GWP (6), however its flammability represents a barrier for its
use in different applications.

HFO-R1234ze (R1234ze): like the previous, this new refrigerant is a candidate to replace R134A in
domestic, commercial or industrial applications. It too has a limited GWP, and limited flammability
only at high temperatures.

Propane (R290): Propane (R290): this hydrocarbon is present as a gas in nature or as a by-product
of the petroleum industry. Its high explosiveness means use is currently limited to refrigeration or air-
conditioning units with a low refrigerant charge (<200g) and consequently a low cooling capacity, or
in niche applications with higher capacities where there is special attention to safety.

Butane and Isobutane (R600, R600a): these are hydrocarbons present as gases in nature or by-
products of the petroleum industry. Their high explosiveness means use is currently limited to low-
capacity refrigeration units typically in the home.

Ammonia (R717): this is a natural fluid with zero ODP and GWP, however its toxicity, corrosiveness
and explosiveness mean it's still a niche refrigerant. It's used in purity in small air-conditioning units
with traditional refrigeration cycles or in large refrigeration systems with absorption cooling cycles
blended with water, a type that's quite different from more commonly-used systems.

Carbon dioxide, CO2 (R744): this is a natural fluid with zero ODP and GWP=1, without the negative
effects of other natural fluids and as a result currently in favour in countries where there's more
environmental awareness, such as northern Europe. Nonetheless it has operating pressures up to
10 times higher than other refrigerants and cannot be condensed at temperatures exceeding 20-
25C. This means that for many refrigeration applications the refrigerant circuit needs to be modified
to allow operation in so-called supercritical conditions, using components that withstand high
pressure and pressure control systems. The feasibility of replacing R134A with R744 in car air-
conditioning is being assessed and obviously will require a redesign of the systems used until now.
Now the tips are:

(R-) prefix is added, for Refrigerant.

For saturated hydrocarbons & their derivatives, denoted by 3 digit numbers - first digit is
(total number of carbon - 1), second digit is (total number of hydrogen + 1) and third digit
is (number of fluorine atoms). ex - CH4 = (1-1)(4+1)(0) = R050 (R50).
For unsaturated hydrocarbons & their derivatives, 4 digit number is used - first number is
(number of double or triple bonds), second digit is (total carbon - 1), third digit is (total
hydrogen + 1) and fourth digit is (total fluorine). ex- C2Cl2F2 = (1)(2-1)(0+1)(2) = R-1112.
For inorganic compounds, it is denoted by (700 + molecular weight). i.e for water
(molecular weight = 18) = R-(700+18) = R-718, for air (m.weight = 29) = R-729, for NH3
(ammonia = 17) = R-717.
For azeotropes, it is started with R-500 series onward, like 501, 502 etc.
For blends & mixed refrigerants, denoted by R-400 series, like R-401A, R-404A etc.
Suffix of lower case letter (a,b,c etc.) indicates the increasingly unsymmetrical isomers. ex-
R152a etc.
Suffix of higher case letter (A) indicates having different molecular mass.

If refrigerants are :

1. Saturated hydrocarbons
chemical formula : Cm Hn Fp Clq
Refrigerant designated as : R(m-1)(n+1)p [where n+p+q=2m+2]
e.g C H2 F Cl R031 R31
2. UnSaturated hydrocarbons
Refrigerant designated as : R1(m-1)(n+1)p
e.g C2H4 R1150
3. Inorganic compounds
R(700+molecular weight)
e.g NH3 R717
CO2 R744 etc

Refrigerants 3Numbering and Nomenclature of Refrigerants

NUMBERING OF REFRIGERANTS
(i)For saturated hydrocarbons and their derivatives three digit number
First digit = C 1 = one less than the C atoms in the compound
Second digit = H + 1=one more than the H atoms in the compound
Third digit = Number of fluorine atoms
FOR EXAMPLE:
C2H2Cl2F2 = R-132
CH4 = R-50
(ii)For unsaturated hydrocarbons and their derivatives four digit number
First digit = 1 (number of double or triple bonds)
Second digit = C-1 = one less than the C atoms in the compound
Third digit = H + 1=one more than the H atoms in the compound
Fourth digit = Number of fluorine atoms
FOR EXAMPLE:
C2Cl2F2 = R-1112
C 2 H2 = R-1130
(iii) Inorganic compounds700 + molecular weight
FOR EXAMPLE:
Water = R-718
Air = R-729
NH3 = R-717
(iv)Azeotropes
These are numbered starting from R-500
First known azeotrope in refrigeration has been numbered as R-500.
Next known azeotrope as R-501 and so on.
Azeotrope B.P. Composition by MASS
FOR EXAMPLE: R-500 -33.3 R-12/R-152, 73.8/26.2
R-501 -45 R-22/R-12, 75/25
R-502 -46 R-22/R-115, 48.8/51.2
R-503 -88 R-23/R-13, 40.1/59.9
R-504 -57 R-32/R-115, 48.3/51.7
(v)Blends/Mixed refrigerants
For example: R-401A is HCFC blend of R-32 + R-152a + R-124

R-404A is HCFC blend of R-143a + R-125 + R-134a

By mass (52% + 44 % + 4 %)
NOMENCLATURE OF REFRIGERANTS
IUPAC NOMENCLATURE
Write halogen as prefix. For example, monochloromethane, dichlorofluoromethane
ANSI/ASHRAE NOMENCLATURE
Write R as prefix. For example R-22, R-717
 MOST RECENT NOMENCLATURE
Written as CFC, HCFC, HFC, FC, PFC
Where PFC is per-fluorocarbons (Completely fluorinated), R-218C3F8
DECODING SYSTEM OF CFC
R for refrigerant
First digit = Number of double bonds (omitted if zero)
Second digit = carbon atoms 1 (omitted if zero)
Third digit = Hydrogen atoms + 1
Fourth digit =Fluorine atoms
A letter to identify isomers, the normal isomer in any number has the smallest mass difference on
each carbon atom and is without any suffix, and a, b, c are suffixed as the mass difference increases
from normal. For example C2H2F4 has two isomers CHF2 CHF 2 =R-134 and CH3CH2F = R-134a

According to an international agreement, refrigerants are represented by the letter R (as

in Refrigerants) followed by a two- or three-digit number and, in some cases, one or two
letters. The designation Rxyz is determined by the chemical composition of the
molecule, as described below.

The methane, ethane and propane series:

Here, (x) gives the number of carbon atoms in the chemical formula, minus one.

(x) = 0 is the methane series, but the 0 is ignored for these compounds. Examples are
R12 and R22.
(x) = 1 is the members of the ethane series, such as R114, R124 and R134a.
(x) = 2 is the propane series, e.g. R290 (propane).

For these groups, (y) describes the number of hydrogen atoms plus one and (z)
describes the number of fluorine atoms.

Zeotropic and azeotropic mixtures

(x) = 4 refers to zeotropic mixtures. The components in the mixture have different boiling
points, and thus the refrigerant mixture has a temperature glide. R407A and R407C are
examples of such refrigerants (see section 5.7).
(x) = 5 refers to azeotropic mixtures. These act like homogeneous substances with one
specific boiling point, and therefore they have no glide. R502 and R507 are examples of
azeotropic mixtures (see section 5.7).
 Here, (y) and (z) are ordinal numbers.

High organic compounds

(x) = 6 means that the composition is organic, e.g. butane, R600, and isobutene,
R600a. This group has several subgroups, for example hydrocarbons, oxygen
compounds, sulfuric compounds and nitrogen compounds.

The subgroups have been assigned different number series within the main group, so
(y) and (z) describe the subgroup and order within the subgroup.

Inorganic compounds
(x) = 7 refers to inorganic compounds, such as ammonia, R717, water, R718, and
carbon dioxide, R744.

In this group, (y) and (z) are the molar mass.

Unsaturated organic compounds

(x) = 11 stands for unsaturated ethane compounds, such as R1150 (ethylene).
(x) = 12 stands for unsaturated propane compounds, such as R1270(propylene). The
(y) and (z) are the same as for the ethane and propane series.

Letters at the end

The last letter, if any, in the designation number means different things:

Lower-case letters describe the structure of the molecule. For example, R600 is butane
and R600a is isobutane. These two compounds have the same chemical formula, but
different spatial arrangements, and they therefore have slightly different properties.
Capital letters describe specific mixing proportions of different components. For
example, R407 A-E are mixtures of the refrigerants R32, R125 and R134a. R407A has
the following mixing proportions: 20% R32, 40% R125 and 40% R134a, while R407C
consists of 23% R32, 25% R125 and 52% R134a.
In addition to being toxic or explosive and thereby dangerous to people's health, there
are other problems associated with refrigerants. Environmental aspects are increasingly
being taken into consideration. Refrigerants can thus also be ranked according to their
impact on the stratospheric ozone layer (the Ozone Depletion Potential, ODP) or as
greenhouse gases (the Global Warming Potential, GWP).

Ozone Depletion Potential, ODP

Refrigerants containing chlorine or bromine contribute to the breakdown of the ozone
layer (see Figure 5.1). The reaction is as follows:

However, the CIO molecule is unstable. It breaks down and reacts with ozone
molecules (in accordance with the equation above) repeatedly until a more stable
compound is created.

The ODP is the ratio of the impact on ozone of a chemical compared with the impact of
a similar mass of CFC-11 (R11). Thus, the ODP of CFC-11 is 1.0 by definition. Other
CFCs and HCFCs have ODPs ranging from 0.01 to 1.0. The halons have ODPs ranging
up to 10. Carbon tetrachloride has an ODP of 1.2, and methyl chloroform's ODP is 0.11.
HFCs have zero ODP because they do not contain chlorine.

Global Warming Potential, GWP

Due to their stability in the atmosphere, CFCs as well as HCFCs and HFCs are often
very effective greenhouse gases. The GWP factor is used to reflect their impact on
global warming.

The GWP is the ratio of the warming caused by a substance to the warming caused by
a similar mass of carbon dioxide. Thus, the GWP of CO2 is 1.0 by definition. CFC-12
has a GWP of 8500, while CFC-11 has a GWP of 5000. Various HCFCs and HFCs
have GWPs ranging from 93 to 12100. Water, a substitute in numerous end-uses, has a
GWP of 0.

When using GWP values from different sources, it is important to consider that the
values may differ due to different integration times or calculation models.

Another measurement of the impact on global warming is the TEWI value (Total
Environmental Warming Impact). This includes not only the direct impact of any release
of the refrigerant (GWP), but also the impact during the generation and use of primary
energy in the system.
ODP Defined

The ODP, or Ozone Depletion Potential, is the potential for a single molecule of the refrigerant to
destroy the Ozone Layer. All of the refrigerants use R11 as a calibration and thus R11 has an
ODP of 1.0. The less the value of the ODP the better the refrigerant is for the Ozone Layer and
the Environment.

GWP Defined

The GWP, or Global Warming Potential, is a measurement of how much effect the given
refrigerant will have on Global Warming in relation to Carbon Dioxide. This is usually measured
over a one hundred year period. In this case the lower the value of GWP the better the
refrigerant is for the environment.

Refrigerants

R22 is a single hydro chlorofluorocarbon (HCFC) compound. It has a low chlorine content and
ozone depletion potential and only a modest direct global warming potential.
ODP = 0.05, GWP = 1700

R410A is a binary blend of hydro fluorocarbon (HFC) compounds (50% = R32, 50% = R125) It
has no chlorine content, no ozone depletion potential, and only a modest global warming
potential.
ODP = 0.0, GWP 1890

We know R22 has an ODP, and R410A has none. R410A does however, have a higher GWP then
R22. So what is actually worse for the environment?
We have always been told R22 has an effect on the ozone layer, and R410A does not...or does
it?

Global Warming Can Increase Ozone Depletion

Scientist's are concerned that continued global warming will accelerate ozone destruction and
increase stratospheric ozone depletion. Ozone depletion gets worse when the stratosphere
(where the ozone layer is), becomes colder. Because global warming traps heat in the
troposphere, less heat reaches the stratosphere which will make it colder. Greenhouse gases act
like a blanket for the troposphere and make the stratosphere colder. In other words, global
warming can make ozone depletion much worse right when it is supposed to begin its recovery
during the next century.

Effects of Ozone Depletion and Global Warming

A lot of people think global warming and the ozone hole are the same thing. They arent.

At least, thats the simple answer. Most people have only the most rudimentary understanding of
how climate systems and atmospheric chemistry work and many of them lump ozone depletion
and climate change together simply out of confusion. They know that gases our industrial society
pumps into the atmosphere are fouling up the entire planet but the details are hazy.

The global warming which many scientists expect (and think they are observing) comes from
release of certain gases which enhance the natural greenhouse effect. These greenhouse
gases, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and the halocarbons, are produced by human
activity and are building up in the atmosphere. They trap solar heat much as a greenhouse or
blanket would, causing the temperature of the lower atmosphere to rise.

Scientists also know that a layer of ozone in the lower stratosphere protects Earth by shielding it
from the suns ultraviolet radiation. Without that shield, life on land would be almost impossible.
The problem is that halocarbons (such as the chlorofluorocarbons that were used as industrial
solvents and spray-can propellants) were destroying the stratospheric ozone layer. The chlorine,
fluorine, and bromine which these chemicals contain act as catalysts to kick off a chain reaction
that destroys ozone. It is this process that has worsened the dramatic ozone hole that occurs
over Antarctica at the end of every winter there. The worry is that a thinning ozone layer will
mean more of the ultraviolet radiation which can harm living things (for example, by causing
skin cancer in humans).

Global warming and ozone depletion are two different problems

The planet Earth is rarely as simple as it seems, and there are important cross-connections
between the two problems which are worth understanding.

For example, the halocarbons which destroy the ozone layer also happen to be potent
greenhouse gases. So there seem to be twice as many reasons to stop pumping them into the
atmosphere. Their use is already being phased down under the 1987 Montreal treaty, and
eventually (after decades) this phase down will help alleviate the human-caused enhanced
greenhouse effect.

But the plot thickens. Another important greenhouse gas is ozone itself at least, the ozone that
is in the lower atmosphere (called the troposphere). So there is a paradox. The halocarbons
increase global warming because they are greenhouse gases but they also destroy another
greenhouse gas, ozone, thereby reducing global warming.

Ultraviolet concerns alone may be enough to justify phasing out ozone-depleting chemicals. But
from a climate perspective, what really matters is the net result of their direct warming and
indirect cooling effects. We can say with some confidence that the overall net effect of the
halocarbons is to warm the climate at Earths surface. But in actuality, whether the net effect is
warming or cooling, strong or weak, depends on many things: the specific halocarbon, the
location on the globe, etc.

The Truth

One bad news implication is that the climate-protection windfall scientists once thought
would be reaped from the Montreal treaty will actually be smaller than expected. We will have to
work harder than once expected to mitigate global warming.

Another bad news implication: the phase-out of the worst ozone-depleters (like CFC-11 and
CFC-12) is being accomplished partly by substituting halocarbons whose ozone-depleting effects
are much weaker (such as the hydrofluorocarbons). But these replacement chemicals are also
greenhouse gases. And while their global-warming effect may be much less than that of the
chemicals they replace, it is still many times that of carbon dioxide.

One further complexity: An important trace ingredient in the atmosphere is the hydroxyl radical
which consists of one oxygen and one hydrogen atom. The unstable hydroxyl radical tends to
react quickly with other molecules in the atmosphere. In fact, hydroxyls and ultraviolet radiation
seem to be responsible for much of the eventual destruction of methane, some halocarbons, and
a number of other atmospheric pollutants.

Heres the rub: the ultraviolet that reaches the troposphere plays a big role in creating hydroxyl
radicals down there. So more ultraviolet reaching the troposphere could actually accelerate
removal of greenhouse gases like methane. But this is hardly a reason to be complacent about
stratospheric ozone depletion.

The above discussion actually gives only a hint of how complex atmospheric chemistry is and
how complex the climate-chemistry links and feedbacks are. It is a reminder than changing a
system so complex could be fraught with perils.

Refrigerants may be divided into three classes according to their manner of absorption or extraction
of heat from the substances to be refrigerated:[citation needed]

Class 1: This class includes refrigerants that cool by phase change (typically boiling), using the
refrigerant's latent heat.
Class 2: These refrigerants cool by temperature change or 'sensible heat', the quantity of heat
being the specific heat capacity x the temperature change. They are air, calcium chloride brine,
sodium chloride brine, alcohol, and similar nonfreezing solutions. The purpose of Class 2
refrigerants is to receive a reduction of temperature from Class 1 refrigerants and convey this
lower temperature to the area to be air-conditioned.
Class 3: This group consists of solutions that contain absorbed vapors of liquefiable agents or
refrigerating media. These solutions function by nature of their ability to carry liquefiable vapors,
which produce a cooling effect by the absorption of their heat of solution. They can also be
classified into many categories.
The R-# numbering system was developed by DuPont corporation (which owns
the Freon trademark), and systematically identifies the molecular structure of refrigerants made with
a single halogenated hydrocarbon. The meaning of the codes is as follows:[citation needed]

For saturated hydrocarbons, subtracting 90 from the concatenated numbers

of carbon, hydrogen and fluorine atoms, respectively gives the assigned R#.[7]
If bromine is present, the number is followed by a capital B and then the number of bromine
atoms.
Remaining bonds not accounted for are occupied by chlorine atoms.
A suffix of a lower-case letter a, b, or c indicates increasingly unsymmetrical isomers.
For example, R-134a has 2 carbon atoms, 2 hydrogen atoms, and 4 fluorine atoms, an empirical
formula of tetrafluoroethane. The "a" suffix indicates that the isomer is unbalanced by one atom,
giving 1,1,1,2-Tetrafluoroethane. R-134 (without the "a" suffix) would have a molecular structure of
1,1,2,2-Tetrafluoroethanea compound not especially effective as a refrigerant.[citation needed]

The R-400 series is made up of zeotropic blends (those where the boiling point of constituent
compounds differs enough to lead to changes in relative concentration because of fractional
 distillation) and the R-500 series is made up of so-called azeotropic blends. The rightmost digit
is assigned arbitrarily by ASHRAE, an industry standards organization.
The R-700 series is made up of non-organic refrigerants, also designated by ASHRAE.
The same numbers are used with an R- prefix for generic refrigerants, with a "Propellant" prefix (e.g.,
"Propellant 12") for the same chemical used as a propellant for an aerosol spray, and with trade
names for the compounds, such as "Freon 12". Recently, a practice of using abbreviations HFC-
for hydrofluorocarbons, CFC- for chlorofluorocarbons, and HCFC- for hydrochlorofluorocarbons has
arisen, because of the regulatory differences among these groups.[citation needed]

Notable blends[edit]
Below are some notable blended HFC mixtures. There exist many more (see list of refrigerants). All
R-400 (R-4xx) and R-500 (R-5xx) hydroflurocarbons are blends, as noted above.

R-401A is a HCFC zeotropic blend of R-22, R-152a, and R-124. It is designed as a replacement
for R-12.[8]
R-404A is a HFC "nearly azeotropic" blend of 52 wt.% R-143a, 44 wt.% R-125, and 4 wt.% R-
134a. It is designed as a replacement of R-22 and R-502 CFC. Its boiling point at normal
pressure is -46.5 C, its liquid density is 0.485 g/cm3.[9]
R-406A is a zeotropic blend of 55 wt.% R-22, 4 wt.% R-600a, and 41 wt.% R-142b.
R-407A is a HFC zeotropic blend of 20 wt.% R-32, 40 wt.% R-125, and 40 wt.% R-134a.[10]
R-407C is a zeotropic hydrofluorocarbon blend of R-32, R-125, and R-134a. The R-32 serves to
provide the heat capacity, R-125 decreases flammability, R-134a reduces pressure.[11]
R-408A is a zeotropic HCFC blend of R-22, R-125, and R-143a. It is a substitute for R-502. Its
boiling point is -44.4 C.[12]
R-409A is a zeotropic HCFC blend of R-22, R-124, and R-142b. Its boiling point is -35.3 C. Its
critical temperature is 109.4 C.[13]
R-410A is a near-azeotropic blend of R-32 and R-125. The US Environmental Protection
Agency recognizes it as an acceptable substitute for R-22 in household and light commercial air
conditioning systems.[14] It appears to have gained widespread market acceptance under several
trade names.[15]
R-438A another HFC blended replacement for R-22, with five components: R-32, R-125/R-134a,
R-600, and R-601a, blended in respective ratios 8.5+.5,-1.5%; 451.5%; 44.21.5%; 1.7+.1,-
.2%; 0.6+.1,-.2%. The mean molecular weight of this mix is 99, resulting in the
tradename ISCEON MO99 from manufacturer DuPont (a line of blended HFC products
developed initially by Rhodia, and sold to DuPont).[16][17]
R-500 is an azeotropic blend of 73.8 wt.% R-12 and 26.2 wt.% of R-152a.
R-502 is an azeotropic blend of R-22 and R-115.

Refrigerants may be divided into three classes according to their manner of absorption
or extraction of heat from the substances to be refrigerated:
Class 1: This class includes refrigerants that cool by the absorption or extraction of
latent heat from the substances to be refrigerated.
Class 2: These refrigerants cool substances by absorbing their sensible heats. They are
air, calcium chloride brine, sodium chloride brine, alcohol, and similar nonfreezing
solutions. The purpose of Class 2 refrigerants is to receive a reduction of temperature
from Class 1 refrigerants and convey this lower temperature to the area to be air-
conditioned.
Class 3: This group consists of solutions that contain absorbed vapors of liquefiable
agents or refrigerating media. These solutions function by nature of their ability to carry
liquefiable vapors, which produce a cooling effect by the absorption of their latent heat.
The R-# numbering system was developed by DuPont and systematically identifies the
molecular structure of refrigerants made with a single halogenated hydrocarbon. The
meaning of the codes is as follows:
Rightmost digit: Number of fluorine atoms per molecule.
Tens digit: One plus the number of hydrogen atoms per molecule.
Hundreds digit: The number of carbon atoms minus one. Omitted for methyl
halides, which have only one carbon atom.
Thousands digit: Number of double bonds in the molecule. This is omitted when
zero, and in practice is rarely used, since most candidate compounds are
unstable.
A suffix with a capital B and a number indicates the number of bromine atoms,
when present. This is rarely used.
Remaining bonds not accounted for are occupied by chlorine atoms.
A suffix of a lower-case letter a, b, or c indicates increasingly unbalanced isomers.
As a special case, the R-400 series is made up of zeotropic blends (those where
the boiling point of constituent compounds differs enough to lead to changes in
relative concentration because of fractional distillation) and the R-500 series is
made up of so-called azeotropic blends. The rightmost digit is assigned arbitrarily
by ASHRAE, an industry organization.
For example, R-134a has four fluorine atoms, two hydrogen atoms, two carbon atoms,
with an empirical formula of tetrafluoroethane. The "a" suffix indicates that the isomer is
unbalanced by one atom, giving 1,1,1,2-Tetrafluoroethane. R-134 without the "a" suffix
would have a molecular structure of 1,1,2,2-Tetrafluoroethanea compound not
especially effective as a refrigerant.
The same numbers are used with an R- prefix for generic refrigerants, with a
"Propellant" prefix (e.g., "Propellant 12") for the same chemical used as a propellant for
an aerosol spray, and with trade names for the compounds, such as "Freon 12."
Recently, a practice of using HFC- for hydrofluorocarbons, CFC-
for chlorofluorocarbons, and HCFC- for hydrochlorofluorocarbons has arisen, because
of the regulatory differences among these groups.
Over the last 150 years or so, refrigerations great strides offered us ways to preserve
and cool food, other substances and ourselves. Refrigeration brought distant
production centers and the North American population together. It tore down the
barriers of climates and seasons. And while it helped to rev up industrial processes, it
became an industry itself.

To look at refrigerations impact on consumers and industry, let us distinguish the

refrigeration process from the refrigerator appliance.

Refrigeration is the process of cooling a space or substance below environmental

temperature. To accomplish this, the process at first removed heat through
evaporation and then later in the 1850s with vapor compression that used air and
subsequently ammonia as a coolant. Refrigeration has been around since antiquity.
Though its inventor, Maryland farmer Thomas Moore, first introduced the term
refrigerator in 1803, the appliance we know today first appeared in the 20th century.

Early Refrigeration
Ice was harvested and stored in China
before the first millennium. Hebrews,
Greeks, and Romans placed large
amounts of snow into storage pits and
covered this cooling agent with
insulating material. Need a cool drink?
Just mix in melting snow or its
resulting water. Or bury your container
right into the snow. No snow? Do like
the ancient Egyptians: fill your earthen
jar with boiled water and stick it on
your roof, exposing it to the nights cool air.

Cooling drinks was popular particularly in Europes southern climates, especially

Italy and Spain. It became en vogue by 1600 in France. By this time, instead of
cooling water at night, people rotated long-necked bottles in water in which saltpeter
was dissolved. This solution, it was discovered, could be used to produce very low
temperatures and to make ice. By the end of the 17th century, iced liquors and frozen
juices were popular in French society.

For centuries, people preserved and stored their food especially milk and butter
in cellars, outdoor window boxes or even underwater in nearby lakes, streams or
wells. Or perhaps they stored food in a springhouse, where cool running water from a
stream trickled under or between shelved pans and crocks. But even these methods
could not prevent rapid spoilage, since pasteurization was not yet known and bacterial
infestation was rampant. It was not unusual in colonial days to die of summer
complaint due to spoiled food during warm weather.

Before 1830, food preservation used time-tested methods: salting, spicing, smoking,
pickling and drying. There was little use for refrigeration since the foods it primarily
preserved fresh meat, fish, milk, fruits, and vegetables did not play as important
a role in the North American diet as they do today. In fact, the diet consisted mainly
of bread and salted meats.

Consumer demand for fresh food, especially produce, led to diet reform between 1830
and the Civil War, fueled by the dramatic growth of cities and the improvement in
economic status of the general populace. And as cities grew, so did the distance
between the consumer and the source of the food.

The Ice Revolution

Ice was first shipped commercially out of Canal Street in New York City, where it
was cut, to Charleston, South Carolina in 1799. Unfortunately, there wasnt much ice
left when the shipment arrived. New Englanders Frederick Tudor and Nathaniel
Wyeth saw the potential for the ice business and revolutionized the industry through
their efforts in the first half of the 1800s. Tudor, who became known as the Ice
King, focused on shipping ice to tropical climates. He experimented with insulating
materials and built ice houses that decreased melting losses from 66 percent to less
than 8 percent. Wyeth devised a method of quickly and cheaply cutting uniform
blocks of ice that transformed the ice industry, making it possible to speed handling
techniques in storage, transportation and distribution with less waste.

Natural ice supply became an industry unto itself and a large one at that. More
companies entered the business, prices decreased, and refrigeration using ice became
more accessible. By 1879 there were 35 commercial ice plants in America, more than
200 a decade later, and 2,000 by 1909. In 1907, 14-15 million tons of ice were
consumed, nearly triple the amount in 1880. No pond was safe from scraping for ice
production, not even Thoreaus Walden Pond, where 1,000 tons of ice were extracted
each day in 1847.

But as time went on, ice as a refrigeration agent became a health problem. Says Bern
Nagengast, co-author of Heat and Cold: Mastering the Great Indoors (published by
the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air-conditioning Engineers),
Good sources were harder and harder to find. By the 1890s, natural ice became a
problem because of pollution and sewage dumping. Signs of a problem were first
evident in the brewing industry. Soon the meat-packing and dairy industries followed
with their complaints. Refrigeration technology provided the solution: ice
mechanically manufactured, giving birth to mechanical refrigeration.
Refrigeration Redefines Brewing And Meat-Packing
Theres no question that the brewing industry was one of the first to realize the
significant benefits that refrigeration offered. German lager beer came to America
with the German immigrants in the 1840s, tasting a lot better than American ale.
Refrigeration enabled the breweries to make a uniform product all year round.
Brewing was the first activity in the northern states to use mechanical refrigeration
extensively, beginning with an absorption machine used by S. Liebmanns Sons
Brewing Company in Brooklyn, New York in 1870. Commercial refrigeration was
primarily directed at breweries in the 1870s and by 1891, nearly every brewery was
equipped with refrigerating machines.

A decade later, refrigeration was introduced in Chicago to the meat-packing industry.

Though meat-packers were slower to adopt refrigeration than the breweries, they
ultimately used refrigeration pervasively. By 1914 the machinery installed in almost
all American packing plants was the ammonia compression system, which had a
refrigeration capacity of well over 90,000 tons/day.

The five big packers Armour, Swift, Morris, Wilson, and Cudahy owned the
expensive equipment extensively, using it in refrigeration cars, branch houses, and
other cold storage facilities. This was essential for the distribution of perishable foods
on a large scale.

Within the packing plant itself, space for meat chilling and storage was usually cooled
by ice in overhead lofts, connected to the area by flues that helped the natural
circulation of cold air. With refrigeration, curing became a year-round activity and
because animals could be brought to market at any time, not just in winter, meat
quality improved.

The Refrigerated Railroad Car

Beginning in the 1840s, refrigerated cars were used to transport milk and butter. By
1860, refrigerated transport was limited to mostly seafood and dairy products. The
refrigerated railroad car was patented by J.B. Sutherland of Detroit, Michigan in 1867.
He designed an insulated car with ice bunkers in each end. Air came in on the top,
passed through the bunkers, and circulated through the car by gravity, controlled by
the use of hanging flaps that created differences in air temperature.

The cars helped establish mid-Western cities, especially Chicago and Kansas City, as
the slaughter centers of the country and also created regional produce specialization.
Consider Georgia peaches, California grapes, peaches, pears, plums, apples and citrus,
Washington and Oregon apples, pears, cherries, and raspberries, and of course,
Florida citrus. The increasingly widespread distribution of fresh foods expanded
markets and helped to create healthier diets of meat, produce, eggs, butter, milk,
cheese and fish.

There were different car designs based upon the type of cargo, whether meat or fruit.
The first refrigerated car to carry fresh fruit was built in 1867 by Parker Earle of
Illinois, who shipped strawberries on the Illinois Central Railroad. Each chest
contained 100 pounds of ice and 200 quarts of strawberries. It wasnt until 1949 that a
refrigeration system made its way into the trucking industry by way of a roof-mounted
cooling device, patented by Fred Jones.

Safety First
Despite the inherent advantages, refrigeration had its problems. Refrigerants like
sulfur dioxide and methylchloride were causing people to die. Ammonia had an
equally serious toxic effect if it leaked. Frigidaire discovered a new class of synthetic
refrigerants called halocarbons or CFCs (chlorofluorocarbons) in 1928. Then part of
General Motors, the company sewed up all the patents. It released CFCs in 1930. And
despite its original intent to keep its patents proprietary, this was too big an invention
to keep to itself, not to mention it didnt have its own manufacturing facility. The
entire industry was allowed to use the patents and refrigeration technology switched to
these new safe agents like Freon (which have since been banned for harming the
ozone layer).

Without the discovery of CFCs, says Nagengast, Refrigeration wouldnt have been
pervasive.

Refrigerations Cooling Makes Businesses Hot

Though ice, brewing, and meat-packing industries were refrigerations major
beneficiaries, many other industries found refrigeration a boon to their business.

In metalworking, for instance, mechanically produced cold was used to help temper
cutlery and tools. Iron production got a boost, as refrigeration removed moisture from
the air delivered to blast furnaces, increasing production. Textile mills used
refrigeration in mercerizing, bleaching, and dyeing. Oil refineries found it essential as
did the manufacturers of paper, drugs, soap, glue, shoe polish, perfume, celluloid, and
photographic materials.

Fur and woolen goods storage could beat the moths by using refrigerated warehouses.
Refrigeration also helped nurseries and florists, especially to meet seasonal needs
since cut flowers could last longer. And there was a morbid application preserving
human bodies in the morgue.
Sugar mills, confectioneries, chocolate factories, bakeries, yeast manufacturers, tea
companies all found refrigeration helped their business.

Hospitality businesses including hotels, restaurants, saloons, and soda fountains,

proved to be big markets for ice. And there was a defense application. In WWI,
refrigeration in munitions factories provided the required strict control of temperatures
and humidity. Allied fighting ships held carbon-dioxide machines to keep ammunition
well below temperatures at which high explosives became unstable.

The Household Refrigerator

Refrigeration in the home lagged behind industrial applications. But by 1884, one
writer noted that refrigerators were as common as stoves or sewing machines in all but
the poorest tenements. The use of ice in the home was growing to keep food longer
and to cool drinks.

The ice wagon was a familiar site on urban streets. It became an American institution,
delivering ice as needed when consumers posted the Ice Today sign in their
windows. Iceboxes were typically made of wood, lined with tin or zinc and insulated
with sawdust or seaweed. Water pans had to be emptied daily.

According to Nagengast, the household refrigerator is one of the greatest unsung

inventions. Engineering technology perfected it, made it reliable, and inexpensive
enough for widespread ownership. He says, The household refrigerator changed the
way people ate and socially affected the household. They were no longer dependent
on ice delivery and they didnt have to make provisions for it like leaving a key or
leaving the door open. Ice wagons became a thing of the past. By the 1920s, the
household refrigerator was an essential piece of kitchen furniture. In 1921, 5,000
mechanical refrigerators were manufactured in the US. Ten years later that number
grew past one million and just six years later, nearly six million. Mass production of
modern refrigerators began in earnest after WWII. By 1950, more than 80 percent of
American farms and more than 90 percent of urban homes had one.