Names | |
---|---|
Preferred IUPAC name 2,3,3,3-Tetrafluoroprop-1-ene | |
Other names HFO-1234yf; R1234yf; R-1234yf; 2,3,3,3-Tetrafluoropropylene | |
Identifiers | |
3D model (JSmol) | |
ChemSpider | |
ECHA InfoCard | 100.104.879 |
EC Number |
|
PubChem CID | |
UNII | |
UN number | 3161 |
CompTox Dashboard (EPA) | |
| |
| |
Properties | |
C3H2F4 | |
Molar mass | 114 g/mol |
Appearance | Colorless gas |
Density | 1.1 g/cm3 at 25 °C (liquid); 4 (gas, relative, air is 1) |
Boiling point | −30 °C (−22 °F; 243 K) |
198.2 mg/L at 24 °C, 92/69/EEC, A.6 | |
log P | 2.15, n-octanol/water, 92/69/EEC, A.8 |
Vapor pressure | 6,067 hPa at 21.1 °C; 14,203 hPa at 54.4 °C |
Hazards | |
GHS labelling: | |
H220 | |
P210, P260, P281, P308+P313, P410+P403 | |
405 °C (761 °F; 678 K) | |
Explosive limits | 6.2% vol.; 12.3% vol. |
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa). |
2,3,3,3-Tetrafluoropropene, HFO-1234yf, is a hydrofluoroolefin (HFO) with molecular formula CH2=CFCF3. Its primary application is as a refrigerant with low global warming potential (GWP). [1] [2]
As a refrigerant, it is designated R-1234yf [1] and marketed under the names Opteon YF by Chemours and as Solstice YF by Honeywell. [3] R-1234yf is also a component of zeotropic refrigerant blend R-454B.
HFO-1234yf has a GWP less than carbon dioxide, [4] [2] itself 1,430 times less potent than R-134a. [5] For this reason, 2,3,3,3‑tetrafluoropropene is the pre-eminent replacement for R-134a in vehicular air conditioners. As of 2022, 90% of new U.S. vehicles are estimated to use HFO-1234yf. [6] Unlike previous vehicular refrigerants, 2,3,3,3‑tetrafluoropropene is flammable, but does not increase fire risk in internal combustion engines.[ citation needed ] One drawback is it breaks down into short-chain perfluorinated carboxylic acids (PFCAs), which are persistent organic pollutants. [7]
HFO-1234yf was developed by a team at DuPont, led by Barbara Haviland Minor, jointly with researchers at Honeywell. [8] [9] Their goal was to meet European directive 2006/40/EC, which went into effect in 2011 and required that all new car platforms for sale in Europe use a refrigerant in its AC system with a global warming potential (GWP) less than 150 times more potent than carbon dioxide. [10] [11] HFO-1234yf was initially considered to have a 100-year GWP of 4, and is now considered to have a 100-year GWP lower than 1 (carbon dioxide has a GWP of 1.0). [2] [4]
Among the alternatives developed to comply with 2006/40/EC, HFO-1234yf had the lowest switching cost for automakers. [12] [13] It can be used as a "near drop-in replacement" for R-134a, [14] the previous automobile AC refrigerant, which has a 100-year GWP of 1430. [5] [15] HFO-1234yf can be handled very similarly to R-134a in repair shops, although it requires some different, specialized equipment due to its flammability. [16] Another issue affecting the compatibility between HFO-1234yf and R-134a-based systems is the choice of lubricating oil. [17]
On July 23, 2010, General Motors announced that it would introduce HFO-1234yf in 2013 Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, and Cadillac models in the U.S. [18] Shortly thereafter, Honeywell and DuPont announced that they would jointly build a manufacturing facility in Changshu, Jiangsu Province, China to produce HFO-1234yf. [19] In 2012, Cadillac produced the first American car using R-1234yf. [20] Since then, Chrysler, [21] GMC, [22] and Ford [23] have all begun transitioning vehicles to R1234yf. [16]
Japanese automakers are also transitioning to R1234yf. Honda and Subaru began to introduce the new refrigerant with the 2017 models. [20] From 2017 to 2018, BMW changed all of its models to R-1234yf. As of 2018, 50% of new vehicles from original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) are estimated to use R-1234yf. [24]
In 2017, Honeywell opened a new plant in Geismar, Louisiana, to handle increased demand for the compound. [25] [26] Honeywell and DuPont hold most patents issued for HFO-1234yf [19] and remained the pre-eminent manufacturers in 2018. [27]
Although the product is classified slightly flammable by ASHRAE, several years of testing by SAE International proved that the product could not be ignited under conditions normally experienced by a vehicle. [10] Tests conducted in 2008 indicated that ignition requires temperatures exceeding 900 °C (1,650 °F) and mixture with PAG oil. [28] Once in flame, 2,2,3,3‑tetrafluoropropene releases highly corrosive and toxic gaseous hydrogen fluoride and carbonyl fluoride. [29]
In August 2012, Mercedes-Benz showed that the substance ignited in simulated head-on collisions. A senior Daimler engineer who ran the tests, stated "We were frozen in shock, I am not going to deny it. We needed a day to comprehend what we had just seen." When researchers sprayed 2,2,3,3‑tetrafluoropropene and A/C compressor oil onto a car's hot engine, the mixture burned in two out of three times. [30] In September, Daimler issued a press release, [10] proposed a recall of cars using the refrigerant, and continued to use older refrigerants in its own designs. [31] The German automakers argued for development of carbon dioxide refrigerants, which they argued would be safer. [30]
In October 2012, SAE International established a new Cooperative Research Project, CRP1234-4, to extend its previous testing and investigate Daimler's claims. [10] The investigation concluded that R-1234yf did not increase the estimated risk of vehicle fire exposure, because "the refrigerant release testing completed by Daimler was unrealistic" and "created extreme conditions that favored ignition". [10] [32] Germany's Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt (KBA, Federal Motor Transport Authority) also conducted its own tests. In their August 2013 report to the European Union, the KBA concluded that while R-1234yf was potentially more hazardous than R-134a, it did not constitute a serious danger. [31]
Writing for Auto Service Professional, Gordon Jacques summarized the controversy:
"The flammability issue has attracted a lot of attention, prompting the industry to conduct some serious third-party testing. The bottom line is this: The refrigerant will burn, but it takes a lot of heat to ignite it and it burns slowly. Almost every other fluid under the hood will light more easily and burn hotter than R1234yf, so the industry has determined that with proper A/C system design, it does not increase the chances of fire in the vehicle." [16]
Mixing HFO-1234yf with 10–11% R-134A is in development to produce a hybrid gas under review by ASHRAE for classification as A2L which is described as "virtually non-flammable". These gases are under review with the names of R451A and R451B. These mixes have GWP of ~147. [33]
Other additives have been proposed for lowering the flammability of HFO-1234yf, such as trifluoroiodomethane, which has a low GWP due to its short atmospheric lifetime, but is slightly mutagenic. [34]
HFO-1234yf has been shown to atmospherically transform into trifluoroacetic acid (TFA), leading to a potential for wet and dry atmospheric deposition. [35] [36]
Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) are fully or partly halogenated hydrocarbons that contain carbon (C), hydrogen (H), chlorine (Cl), and fluorine (F), produced as volatile derivatives of methane, ethane, and propane.
Isobutane, also known as i-butane, 2-methylpropane or methylpropane, is a chemical compound with molecular formula HC(CH3)3. It is an isomer of butane. Isobutane is a colorless, odorless gas. It is the simplest alkane with a tertiary carbon atom. Isobutane is used as a precursor molecule in the petrochemical industry, for example in the synthesis of isooctane.
Freon is a registered trademark of the Chemours Company and generic descriptor for a number of halocarbon products. They are stable, nonflammable, low toxicity gases or liquids which have generally been used as refrigerants and as aerosol propellants. These include chlorofluorocarbons and hydrofluorocarbons, both of which cause ozone depletion and contribute to global warming. 'Freon' is the brand name for the refrigerants R-12, R-13B1, R-22, R-410A, R-502, and R-503 manufactured by The Chemours Company, and so is not used to label all refrigerants of this type. They emit a strong smell similar to acetone. Freon has been found to cause damage to human health when inhaled in large amounts. Studies have been conducted in the pursuit to find beneficial reuses for gases under the Freon umbrella as an alternative to disposal of the gas.
A refrigerant is a working fluid used in cooling, heating or reverse cooling and heating of air conditioning systems and heat pumps where they undergo a repeated phase transition from a liquid to a gas and back again. Refrigerants are heavily regulated because of their toxicity and flammability and the contribution of CFC and HCFC refrigerants to ozone depletion and that of HFC refrigerants to climate change.
Difluoromethane, also called difluoromethylene, HFC-32Methylene Fluoride or R-32, is an organic compound of the dihalogenoalkane variety. Invented in 1964 by Hoechst AG (not Daikin) it has the formula of CH2F2. It is a colorless gas in the ambient atmosphere and is slightly soluble in water, with a high thermal stability. Due to the low melting and boiling point, (−136.0 and −51.6 °C [−212.8 and −60.9 °F; 137.2 and 221.6 K] respectively) contact with this compound may result in frostbite. In the United States, the Clean Air Act Section 111 on Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) has listed difluoromethane as an exception (since 1997) from the definition of VOC due to its low production of tropospheric ozone. Difluoromethane is commonly used in endothermic processes such as refrigeration or air conditioning.
Dichlorodifluoromethane (R-12) is a colorless gas usually sold under the brand name Freon-12, and a chlorofluorocarbon halomethane (CFC) used as a refrigerant and aerosol spray propellant. In compliance with the Montreal Protocol, its manufacture was banned in developed countries in 1996, and in developing countries in 2010 out of concerns about its damaging effect on the ozone layer. Its only allowed usage is as a fire retardant in submarines and aircraft. It is soluble in many organic solvents. R-12 cylinders are colored white.
1,1,1,2-Tetrafluoroethane (also known as norflurane (INN), R-134a, Klea 134a, Freon 134a, Forane 134a, Genetron 134a, Green Gas, Florasol 134a, Suva 134a, HFA-134a, or HFC-134a) is a hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) and haloalkane refrigerant with thermodynamic properties similar to R-12 (dichlorodifluoromethane) but with insignificant ozone depletion potential and a lower 100-year global warming potential (1,430, compared to R-12's GWP of 10,900). It has the formula CF3CH2F and a boiling point of −26.3 °C (−15.34 °F) at atmospheric pressure. R-134a cylinders are colored light blue. A phaseout and transition to HFO-1234yf and other refrigerants, with GWPs similar to CO2, began in 2012 within the automotive market.
R-410A is a refrigerant used in air conditioning and heat pump applications. It is a zeotropic but near-azeotropic mixture of difluoromethane (CH2F2, called R-32) and pentafluoroethane (CHF2CF3, called R-125). R-410A is sold under the trademarked names AZ-20, EcoFluor R410, Forane 410A, Genetron R410A, Puron, and Suva 410A.
Vapour-compression refrigeration or vapor-compression refrigeration system (VCRS), in which the refrigerant undergoes phase changes, is one of the many refrigeration cycles and is the most widely used method for air conditioning of buildings and automobiles. It is also used in domestic and commercial refrigerators, large-scale warehouses for chilled or frozen storage of foods and meats, refrigerated trucks and railroad cars, and a host of other commercial and industrial services. Oil refineries, petrochemical and chemical processing plants, and natural gas processing plants are among the many types of industrial plants that often utilize large vapor-compression refrigeration systems. Cascade refrigeration systems may also be implemented using two compressors.
The Air Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI), formed in 2008 by a merger of the Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute (ARI) and the Gas Appliance Manufacturers Association (GAMA), is a North American trade association of manufacturers of air conditioning, heating, and commercial refrigeration equipment.
R-407C is a mixture of hydrofluorocarbons used as a refrigerant. It is a zeotropic blend of difluoromethane (R-32), pentafluoroethane (R-125), and 1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane (R-134a). Difluoromethane serves to provide the heat capacity, pentafluoroethane decreases flammability, tetrafluoroethane reduces pressure. R-407C cylinders are colored burnt orange.
Automotive air conditioning systems use air conditioning to cool the air in a vehicle.
Hydrofluoroolefins (HFOs) are unsaturated organic compounds composed of hydrogen, fluorine and carbon. These organofluorine compounds are of interest as refrigerants. Unlike traditional hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) and chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), which are saturated, HFOs are olefins, otherwise known as alkenes.
trans-1,3,3,3-Tetrafluoropropene (HFO-1234ze(E), R-1234ze(E)) is a hydrofluoroolefin. It was developed as a "fourth generation" refrigerant to replace fluids such as R-134a, as a blowing agent for foam and aerosol applications, and in air horns and gas dusters. The use of R-134a is being phased out because of its high global warming potential (GWP). HFO-1234ze(E) itself has zero ozone-depletion potential (ODP=0), a very low global warming potential (GWP < 1 ), even lower than CO2, and it is classified by ANSI/ASHRAE as class A2L refrigerant (lower flammability and lower toxicity).
The Chemours Company is an American chemical company that was founded in July 2015 as a spin-off from DuPont. It has its corporate headquarters in Wilmington, Delaware, United States. Chemours is the manufacturer of Teflon, the brand name of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), known for its anti-stick properties. It also produces titanium dioxide and refrigerant gases.It is currently being sued by the PA Attorney General, for knowingly exposing the public to PFAS.
Barbara Haviland Minor is an American chemical engineer, known for the development of refrigerants. She was technical leader for chemical company DuPont in the development of R-1234yf, a refrigerant which, as of 2018, was used in 50% of all new vehicles produced by original equipment manufacturers, and which represented an important contribution to countering global warming.
R-454B, also known by the trademarked names Opteon XL41, Solstice 454B, and Puron Advance, is a zeotropic blend of 68.9 percent difluoromethane (R-32), a hydrofluorocarbon, and 31.1 percent 2,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene (R-1234yf), a hydrofluoroolefin. Because of its reduced global warming potential (GWP), R-454B is intended to be an alternative to refrigerant R-410A in new equipment. R-454B has a GWP of 466, which is 78 percent lower than R-410A's GWP of 2088.
Life Cycle Climate Performance (LCCP) is an evolving method to evaluate the carbon footprint and global warming impact of heating, ventilation, air conditioning (AC), refrigeration systems, and potentially other applications such as thermal insulating foam. It is calculated as the sum of direct, indirect, and embodied greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions generated over the lifetime of the system “from cradle to grave,” i.e. from manufacture to disposal. Direct emissions include all climate forcing effects from the release of refrigerants into the atmosphere, including annual leakage and losses during service and disposal of the unit. Indirect emissions include the climate forcing effects of GHG emissions from the electricity powering the equipment. The embodied emissions include the climate forcing effects of the manufacturing processes, transport, and installation for the refrigerant, materials, and equipment, and for recycle or other disposal of the product at end of its useful life.
The Significant New Alternatives Policy is a program of the EPA to determine acceptable chemical substitutes, and establish which are prohibited or regulated by the EPA. It also establishes a program by which new alternatives may be accepted, and promulgates timelines to the industry regarding phase-outs of substitutes.