The properties of refrigerants are directly related to the refrigeration effect of refrigeration equipment and even personal safety. Whether you are designing, installing, repairing or maintaining refrigeration equipment, you should know the properties and applications of these common refrigerants.
1. R22 Refrigerant
R22 is mainly used in home air conditioners, commercial air conditioning units, central air conditioners, portable air conditioners, heat pump water heaters, dehumidifiers, refrigerated dryers, cold storage, food freezing equipment, marine refrigeration equipment, industrial refrigeration, commercial refrigeration, refrigeration condensing units, supermarket display cabinets and other refrigeration equipment.
R22 is also widely used as a raw material for polytetrafluoroethylene resin and an intermediate for gas extinguishing agent R1211, as well as a physical foaming agent for polymers (plastics). It can also be used as an aerosol spray for insecticides and spray paints, and is the basic raw material for the production of various fluorine-containing polymer compounds.
2. R23 Refrigerant
R23 is a widely used ultra-low temperature refrigerant. It is mainly used in ultra-low temperature refrigerators or freezers, blood bank refrigerators, freeze dryers, environmental test chambers/equipment (thermal shock test chambers), biochemical test chambers and other cryogenic equipment (including scientific research refrigeration, medical refrigeration, etc.), and is often used in the low temperature stage of these cascade refrigeration systems.
It can also be used as a gas extinguishing agent, with the characteristics of cleanliness, low toxicity, and good fire extinguishing effect.
3. R32 Refrigerant
R32 is a new environmentally friendly refrigerant. It does not contain chlorine and therefore has no destructive effect on ozone, but it is flammable and explosive. It is one of the substitutes for R22 and R410A refrigerants.
R32 is mainly used in home air conditioners, commercial air conditioners, and central air conditioners. It can also be used to make refrigerants such as R407A, R407C, and R410A.
4. R134a Refrigerant
R134a is mainly used in most areas where R-12 refrigerant is used, including refrigerators, freezers, water dispensers, car air conditioners, central air conditioners, dehumidifiers, cold storage, commercial refrigeration, drinking water chillers, ice cream machines, refrigeration condensing units and other refrigeration equipment.
It can also be used in aerosol propellants, medical aerosols, insecticide propellants, polymer (plastic) physical foaming agents, and function as magnesium alloy protective gases, etc. It can also be used to make other mixed refrigerants, such as R404A and R407C.
5. R290 Refrigerant
R290 is a hydrocarbon refrigerant, which is flammable and explosive! It has no damage to the ozone layer and has a very small greenhouse effect. Therefore, it is one of the most environmentally friendly refrigerants.
High-purity R290 is used as a temperature-sensing medium. The premium and first-grade R290 can be used as a refrigerant to replace R22 and R502, compatible with the original system and lubricating oil, and used in central air conditioners, heat pumps, home air conditioners and other small refrigeration equipment.
6. R600a Refrigerant
R600a refrigerant is mainly used to replace CFC-12 refrigerant used in refrigerators, freezers and other refrigeration equipment. It is also used as a foaming agent for foam plastics.
7. R404A Refrigerant
R404A is mainly used to replace R22 and R502, with the characteristics of cleanliness, low toxicity, non-flammability, and good refrigeration effect. It is often used in cold storage, food freezing equipment, marine refrigeration equipment, industrial low-temperature refrigeration, commercial low-temperature refrigeration, transportation refrigeration equipment (refrigerated trucks, etc.), refrigeration condensing units, supermarket display cabinets and other refrigeration equipment.
8. R407C Refrigerant
R407C is an environmentally friendly medium and high temperature refrigerant mixed by R32, R125 and R134a in a certain proportion. It is used in various air-conditioning systems and non-centrifugal refrigeration systems. It is mainly used in household air conditioners, small and medium-sized commercial air conditioners (small and medium-sized unit air conditioners, home central air conditioners, multi-split units), portable air conditioners (car air conditioners, etc.), dehumidifiers, refrigerated dryers, marine refrigeration equipment, industrial refrigeration and other refrigeration equipment.
9. R410A Refrigerant
R410A is a new type of environmentally friendly refrigerant that does not damage the ozone layer. Its working pressure is 1.6 times that of R22, with high refrigeration efficiency and improved air conditioning performance. The new refrigerant R410A is composed of two quasi-azeotropic mixtures, R32 and R125, each 50%, and has the characteristics of stability, non-toxicity, and superior performance.
R410A is mainly used to replace R22 and R502, and is currently a widely used medium and high temperature refrigerant. It is mainly used in home air conditioners, small and medium-sized commercial air conditioners (small and medium-sized unit air conditioners, home central air conditioners, multi-split units), portable air conditioners, dehumidifiers, refrigerated dryers, marine refrigeration equipment, industrial refrigeration and other refrigeration equipment.
10. CO2 / Carbon Dioxide Refrigerant
Using CO2 as a refrigerant has no destructive effect on the atmospheric ozone layer and can reduce the global greenhouse effect. It has a wide source, does not need to be recycled, can greatly reduce the cost of refrigerant replacement and save energy. It fundamentally solves the problem of environmental pollution caused by compounds and has good economic benefits.
In addition, CO2 is safe, non-toxic, non-flammable, and features good thermal stability. It has a thermophysical property that is compatible with refrigeration cycles and equipment. It features a small molecular weight and a large refrigeration capacity. The unit refrigeration capacity at 0°C is 5 to 8 times higher than that of conventional refrigerants.
11. R507 Refrigerant
R507 refrigerant is an HFC-type azeotropic refrigerant, and does not contain CFC and HCFC that damage the ozone layer. It is a mainstream low-temperature environmentally friendly refrigerant recognized and recommended by most countries in the world.
As a widely used low-temperature refrigerant today, it is often used in cold storage, food refrigeration equipment, marine refrigeration equipment, industrial low-temperature refrigeration, commercial low-temperature refrigeration, refrigerated trucks, refrigerated condensing units, supermarket display cabinets and other refrigeration equipment.
12. R717 Refrigerant
R717 (ammonia) refrigerant is a medium-temperature refrigerant. Pure ammonia has no adverse effect on lubricating oil, but when there is water, it will reduce the lubrication effect of refrigeration oil. Copper and copper alloys are not used for pipes and valves in ammonia refrigeration systems.
R717 (ammonia) features mature synthesis process, easy producing, cheap price, no to the ozone layer, and no greenhouse effect. The pressure of ammonia refrigerant in the condenser and evaporator is moderate (condensation pressure is generally 0.981MPa, evaporation pressure is generally 0.098-0.49MPa). The unit volume refrigeration capacity is larger than that of R22. The latent heat of vaporization is large, and the refrigeration and heat release coefficients are high.
Ammonia refrigerant is widely used in large cold storage and supermarket food display cabinets.
13. R449A Refrigerant
R449A is mainly used as a low global warming potential (GWP) alternative to R404A refrigerant, widely used in medium and low temperature refrigeration applications such as supermarket refrigerated display cabinets, refrigerated transportation, low-temperature cold storage, industrial and commercial refrigeration systems.
14. R513A Refrigerant
R513A is a low GWP alternative to R134a refrigerant and is mainly used in medium and low temperature refrigeration equipment, such as commercial refrigeration display cabinets, chillers, supermarket refrigeration equipment, certain types of automotive air conditioning systems, and other industrial refrigeration applications.
It is designed to reduce the impact on the environment while maintaining or improving the performance of the refrigeration system.
15. R452A Refrigerant
R452A is another low GWP refrigerant developed specifically to replace R404A. It is suitable for a wide range of medium and low temperature refrigeration systems, such as commercial refrigeration, supermarket refrigeration equipment, refrigerated transportation, industrial refrigeration, etc.
