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Refrigerant choice is the best way of delivering future improvements"
Nick Campbell, Arkema, Chairman of EFCTC
THE MONTREAL Protocol on substances that deplete the ozone layer was a landmark environmental agreement resulting in the phase-out of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs).
The chemical industry played an important part in developing and testing alternative products in unprecedented time, to enable the phase out of Ozone Depleting Substances. Despite the tight deadlines, these new products became the most rigorously tested industrial chemicals ever in terms of their safety, health and environmental performance.
The group of chemicals selected to replace CFCs (and later hydrochlorofluorocarbons, HCFCs) are known as hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs). These products are non-flammable, of very low toxicity and are highly energy efficient for refrigeration and insulation. Their widespread use has enabled the phase out of CFCs and HCFCs. At the same time they have also dramatically reduced industry's contribution to worldwide greenhouse gas emissions.
Whereas CFCs in 1990 represented about 25% of global greenhouse gas emissions, HFCs used today are responsible for around 0.5% of such emissions. That said, some environmental groups have targeted the refrigeration and air conditioning industry, claiming that as HFCs are greenhouse gases they should also be phased out.
However, analysis...