NUREMBERG, Germany - DuPont has announced the development of a new, lower global warming potential (GWP) refrigerant for use in commercial refrigeration systems. DuPont™ Opteon™ XP10 is based on HFO-1234yf, which was developed for mobile air conditioning use. The new refrigerant is characterized by its lower GWP (close to 600) when compared to R-134a, as well as its similarity to R-134a in terms of its thermodynamic properties.

DuPont said initial test results indicate that Opteon XP10 is suitable for use as an alternative refrigerant for new, medium-temperature commercial refrigeration systems based on R-134a technology, or as a cost-effective replacement for R-134a in existing systems. The company said the first pilot projects with leading food retailers such as ALDI Süd, Penny (both Germany) and Spar (Austria) have been very encouraging in terms of operating performance and ease of use. DuPont is considering an initially limited commercial launch of Opteon XP10 in the European Union between 2012 and 2013, and will monitor market interest to define the exact timing for its commercial introduction.

For more information, visit http://refrigerants.dupont.com.

Publication date: 10/25/2010