The Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) has published research project AHRI 8018: Review of Refrigerant Management Programs. This project examined refrigerant management and recycling programs implemented in key regions of the world, evaluated their effectiveness, and determined best practices.
In October 2014, the EPA announced its final phasedown schedule regarding the production and importation of HCFC-22. The order called for an immediate drop from 51 million pounds allowed in 2014 to 22 million pounds in 2015, 18 million pounds in 2016, 13 million pounds in 2017, 9 million pounds in 2018, and 4 million pounds in 2019. No new or imported R-22 will be allowed in the U.S. on or after Jan. 1, 2020.
Proposal would phase out use of R-134a, R-410A, and R-407C in chillers
February 4, 2016
The Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) and the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) issued a joint letter to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in support of changing the status of certain refrigerants used in liquid chillers under the Significant New Alternatives Policy (SNAP) program effective Jan. 1, 2025.
Ultrasonic sensor measures and documents refrigerant-to-oil ratio
February 1, 2016
SensoTech’s LiquiSonic® analyzer allows for precision measurement of oil concentration in refrigerant to ensure the optimum ratio of oil and refrigerant. According to SensoTech, the LiquiSonic sensors use ultrasonic technology to continuously and directly measure the oil concentration.
Topics include toxicity, flammability, and higher pressures
February 1, 2016
With the advancing worldwide phaseout of hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP’s) OzonAction Division of Technology has produced a series of factsheets on the safe use of the new alternative refrigerants.
The refrigeration industry certainly takes its share of heat from the scientific research community, and it can be easy to feel as if we’re being ganged up on. But the good news is that we’ve got some scientists and researchers working on our side, too.
Dumping margins range from 91.99 percent to 210.46 percent
January 29, 2016
The U.S. Department of Commerce has announced an affirmative preliminary determination in its antidumping duty investigation of imports of HFC refrigerants from China. This encompasses both blends and single-component HFCs.
Alternative to R-134a provides 56 percent lower GWP and comparable performance
January 27, 2016
Johnson Controls announced it is enhancing its HFC product lines to be fully compatible with the non-flammable, low-global warming potential (GWP) refrigerant Opteon™ XP10 (R-513A) manufactured by The Chemours Co. York centrifugal and screw chillers ranging from 125 to 6,000 tons (440 to 21,100 kW) are compatible with R-513A.
ComStar International is introducing two new refrigerants. RS-44B (R-453A) is a low-global warming potential (GWP), energy-saving HFC refrigerant that replaces R-22 in a/c and refrigeration applications without an oil or component change.