On Dec. 30, 2003, Protocol Resource Management Inc. was granted a U.S. patent for the refrigerant composition of SP22C, Protocol's blend of ozone friendly HFC refrigerants designed as a retrofit replacement for HCFC R-22. SP22C utilizes a patented formulation of HFCs and oil miscibility additives designed to enable the use of SP22C in R-22 air conditioning retrofit applications.

According to the company, SP22C does not require a system oil change and works with the existing mineral oil. The pressure, temperature, and operating characteristics of SP22C are designed to match R-22 in air conditioning applications. Performance in an optimized system exceeds that of R-22, and in a direct retrofit application, with no system modifications, SP22C performed within 4 percent of the original equipment manufacturers capacity rating, says the company. SP22C is nonflammable and has been tested for flammability according to UL2182 and ASTM E681.

On Jan. 1, 2004, developed countries, as part of the Montreal Protocol, implemented a 35 percent reduction in allowable HCFC import quotas. As worldwide supplies of HCFCs begin to tighten, SP22C will be positioned to service the installed based of existing R-22 systems, the company says. Current OEM replacements for R-22, such as R-410A, are unsuitable for retrofit applications, because of the significantly higher operating pressures and the requirement for additional safety approvals for system components.