Those themes include sustainability efforts, corporate social responsibility (CSR) targets, and market offerings.

“We have very strong CSR targets that will reinforce the portfolio we’re offering as well as guide us and our customers during some of the important refrigerant transitions that are ongoing in the industry,” Ritter said. “We saw an opportunity to remind our customers who Arkema is and make them aware of the tools Arkema offers.”

Arkema’s five CSR commitments are:

• Be a top quartile performer in safety in the chemical industry, whether industrial safety or product stewardship;
• Reduce the environmental footprint of its activities by reducing its air emissions (including discharges of greenhouse gases), water emissions, optimizing the consumption of natural resources, and increasing the use of renewable raw materials;
• Place sustainable development solutions at the heart of its innovation policy and its product offering to provide new solutions capable of meeting the challenges of our world;
• Promote the individual and collective development of the group’s men and women; and
• Encourage openness and dialogue with all its stakeholders — neighboring residents, customers, suppliers, associations, etc. — by always listening to their needs and concerns and explaining the group’s activities through concrete initiatives.

Arkema also introduced a new Forane® app. The app had mainly been a pressure-temperature device for customers but has been expanded with new features to make it more useful. For example, the app can now be used as part of the company’s anti-counterfeiting efforts. Ritter explained most of the Arkema refrigerant disposable cylinders now have tamper-proof seals, and contractors and technicians can use the app to scan those seals and verify the cylinder is a valid Arkema product.

“There are a number of new blenders coming into the market now who are blending their own materials,” Ritter said. “Our anti-counterfeiting measures and app give us the opportunity to discuss how important it is for contractors to know from where they’re sourcing their products and remind them of the quality that Arkema delivers to the market. All Arkema refrigerant products are UL classified and meet AHRI [Air-Conditioning, Heating & Refrigeration Institute] specifications.”

In addition, the company presented a technical session at the Expo, “Impact of Contamination on the Stability of Low-GWP Refrigerants.”

According to Arkema, as low global-warming potential (GWP) hydrofluroolefin (HFO) refrigerants become more widely adopted, because of the phaseout of hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) and phase down of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), it will become increasingly important to follow best practices, such as refraining from mixing refrigerants and using the recommended lubricants.

“In an effort to establish best practices, we have studied the impact of common contaminants that may influence the HVACR system performance and the reliability of these new refrigerants,” said Arkema Fluorochemicals Scientist, Sarah Kim, who presented the technical session. “In addition, Arkema has identified stabilizers that can prevent the deterioration of performance due to contaminants.”  

Publication date: 2/26/2018