Arkema’s Forane^® 449B (R-449B) refrigerant has been approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for use in multiple refrigeration applications under the agency’s Significant New Alternatives Policy (SNAP) program. This approval allows R-449B to be installed in new and retrofit R-22 and R-404A commercial refrigeration supermarket systems, remote condensing units, low-temperature stand-alone equipment, refrigerated food processing and dispensing equipment, commercial ice machines, and refrigerated transport.

 R-449B is classified by ASHRAE as a non-flammable, non-ozone depleting class A1 refrigerant with a global-warming potential (GWP) of 1,296. According to Arkema, equipment testing demonstrates that R-449B can offer improved efficiency over R-404A of up to 11 percent while cutting the GWP by two-thirds.