Refrigerants are gases that are indispensable for cooling and warming the air. Because refrigerants have such a large impact on the environment, it is the duty of manufacturers to find refrigerants that exert minimal environmental impact and are safe, efficient, and economical.
Fluorocarbon is a general name for a compound containing carbon, hydrogen, fluorine, chlorine, and bromine. Not only was it used as a refrigerant in air conditioners, freezers, and refrigerators, it was also widely used in other ways, including as a foaming agent for insulation such as Styrofoam and a cleaning agent for precision electronic parts. It was discovered that certain substances in fluorocarbons had a negative impact on the environment, and so they became subject to international restrictions.
Global Warming Impact from Emission of Fluorocarbons
International Treaties to Reduce the Environmental Impact from Refrigerants
Preventing Ozone Layer Depletion and the Effects of Global Warming
In 1987, the Montreal Protocol was adopted for restrictions on the production, use, and trading of substances believed to be responsible for ozone layer depletion. The protocol designated the CFCs conventionally used as refrigerants in air conditioners as specified fluorocarbons and called for the phasing-out of their production by the end of 1995 in developed countries.
CFCs were replaced by HCFCs, which have a relatively low impact on the ozone layer. HCFCs have since been designated under the Montreal Protocol and will cease being manufactured in developed countries by 2020 and in developing countries by 2030.
HCFCs began to be replaced in the developed countries by HFCs, which do not deplete the ozone layer. However, HFCs are also greenhouse gases, although they do not contribute to global warming as much as CFCs. The Kyoto Protocol, adopted in 1997, calls for reducing their emissions.
As Developing Countries Use More Refrigerants, the Time Comes for the Shift to Next-Generation Refrigerants
The World's Quest for Refrigerants to Replace HCFCs
With air conditioner use spreading throughout developing countries, the amount of refrigerants used is expected to rise. Under the Montreal Protocol, the elimination of HCFCs in developing countries is set for later than in developed countries, which means that even now in developing countries HCFC22, which has an impact on the ozone layer, is being used.
That being said, starting in 2013, HCFCs are slated to be gradually phased out in developing countries, so the time for a refrigerant switchover is approaching. Because the Kyoto Protocol calls for the reduction of HFC emissions, there is a rush to find the next refrigerant to enable developing countries to bypass HFCs altogether.
It will take international collaboration to decide which refrigerant should be adopted. This is because a switch to a new refrigerant will involve numerous issues: these include ISO standards, restrictions and standards in each country, standards governing equipment safety, methods of installation and maintenance, systems for supplying refrigerants, and methods for disposal of equipment. We are currently in a crucial period for the search for the refrigerant that will become the global standard for the next generation.
