Barbara Haviland Minor

Last updated

Barbara Haviland Minor
NationalityAmerican
Alma mater Bucknell University
AwardsDupont Fellow, Perkin Medal
Scientific career
Institutions DuPont, Chemours
External videos
Nuvola apps kaboodle.svg "CCN Video: HFOs in Australia", Interview with Barbara Minor, 2015

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, [1] a refrigerant which, as of 2018, was used in 50% of all new vehicles produced by original equipment manufacturers, [2] and which represented an important contribution to countering global warming. [3]

Contents

Minor was one of five women to be named a Dupont Fellow in 2014, [1] the first year that the company named women to its highest technical level. [4] In 2018, she was awarded the Society of Chemical Industry's Perkin Medal, given annually for 'innovation in applied chemistry resulting in outstanding commercial development'. [3]

Life

Minor graduated from Bucknell University in 1981 [5] with a Bachelor of Science in chemical engineering. [3] [6]

Career

Minor worked at DuPont from 1981 to 2015, when she moved to the spinoff company Chemours [3] in Wilmington, Delaware. [7] Minor develops new refrigerants for air conditioning and refrigeration systems. Her work supports the phasing out of ozone depleting chlorofluorocarbons and hydrochlorofluorocarbons, and of hydrofluorocarbons that contribute to global warming. [3]

Minor was the technical leader for the research group at DuPont that developed HFO-1234yf, [1] [8] a hydrofluoroolefin that can reduce emissions from automotive air conditioning by more than 99%. [3] HFO-1234yf has a much lower global warming potential (GWP) than the previously used R-134a: its 100-year GWP was originally calculated as 4, [9] and later recalculated as <1, [10] [11] compared to 1430 for R-134a. HFO-1234yf also has a lower atmospheric lifetime (11 days compared to 14 years), and higher energy efficiency under many conditions. [9]

The Dupont team worked jointly with researchers at Honeywell. [8] [9] As a replacement for R-134a, HFO-1234yf is marketed as Opteon yf by Dupont [1] (later Chemours), [12] and as Solstice yf by Honeywell. [13] As of 2018, 50% of new vehicles produced by original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) are believed to use HFO-1234yf for air conditioning. [2]

Minor helped to develop both the XP (2014) and XL (2016) lines of refrigerant for Dupont and Chemours. [14] In addition to alternative refrigerants for use in automobiles, [15] more ecologically friendly refrigerants have been developed for supermarket refrigeration systems (XP40) [16] commercial freezers (XL20), [17] reach-in coolers and freezers (R450A), [18] beverage coolers (HFO-1234yf), [19] [20] large building chillers (XP30), [14] transport units with self-contained refrigeration (XP44) [14] [20] [7] direct expansion air conditioning, chilled water air conditioning and heat pumps (XL41, XL55). [21] Minor is also a co-inventor of Dupont's ISCEON MO99 (R438A), a possible replacement for R22, and Suva 95 (R508B), a possible replacement for R13 and R503. [6] [22] A number of these refrigerants involve HFO/HFC blends. [23] [24]

Minor holds more than 160 patents in the United States, for her work on refrigerants, cleaning agents, and aerosol propellants. [3] [25] [26]

She is a member of the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) and the Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI). She has chaired the AHRI's Research group and the AHRTI's Technology and Steering committees. [27]

Awards

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chlorofluorocarbon</span> Class of organic compounds commonly used as refrigerants

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.

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Refrigerant</span> Substance in a refrigeration cycle

A refrigerant is a working fluid used in the refrigeration cycle of air conditioning systems and heat pumps where in most cases they undergo a repeated phase transition from a liquid to a gas and back again. Refrigerants are heavily regulated due to their toxicity, 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. It has the formula of CH2F2. It is a colorless gas in the ambient atmosphere and is slightly soluble in the water, with a high thermal stability. Due to the low melting and boiling point, (-136.0 °C and -51.6 °C 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.

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.

Chlorodifluoromethane or difluoromonochloromethane is a hydrochlorofluorocarbon (HCFC). This colorless gas is better known as HCFC-22, or R-22, or CHClF
2. It was commonly used as a propellant and refrigerant. These applications were phased out under the Montreal Protocol in developed countries in 2020 due to the compound's ozone depletion potential (ODP) and high global warming potential (GWP), and in developing countries this process will be completed by 2030. R-22 is a versatile intermediate in industrial organofluorine chemistry, e.g. as a precursor to tetrafluoroethylene.

R-410A, sold under the trademarked names AZ-20, EcoFluor R410, Forane 410A, Genetron R410A, Puron, and Suva 410A, is a zeotropic but near-azeotropic mixture of difluoromethane (CH2F2, called R-32) and pentafluoroethane (CHF2CF3, called R-125) that is used as a refrigerant in air conditioning and heat pump applications. R-410A cylinders were colored rose but are no longer specially color-coded, now bearing a standard light gray color.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vapor-compression refrigeration</span> Refrigeration process

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.

Natural refrigerants are considered substances that serve as refrigerants in refrigeration systems. They are alternatives to synthetic refrigerants such as chlorofluorocarbon (CFC), hydrochlorofluorocarbon (HCFC), and hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) based refrigerants. Unlike other refrigerants, natural refrigerants can be found in nature and are commercially available thanks to physical industrial processes like fractional distillation, chemical reactions such as Haber process and spin-off gases. The most prominent of these include various natural hydrocarbons, carbon dioxide, ammonia, and water. Natural refrigerants are preferred actually in new equipment to their synthetic counterparts for their presumption of higher degrees of sustainability. With the current technologies available, almost 75 percent of the refrigeration and air conditioning sector has the potential to be converted to natural refrigerants.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2,3,3,3-Tetrafluoropropene</span> Chemical compound

2,3,3,3-Tetrafluoropropene, HFO-1234yf, is a hydrofluoroolefin (HFO) with the formula CH2=CFCF3. It is also designated R-1234yf as the first of a new class of refrigerants: it is marketed under the name Opteon YF by Chemours and as Solstice YF by Honeywell. R-1234yf is also a component of zeotropic refrigerant blend R-454B, an alternative to the R-410A refrigerant currently used in air conditioning and heat pump applications.

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trane</span> Subsidiary manufacturer of HVAC systems

Trane is a manufacturer of commercial and residential heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, along with building management systems and controls. The company is a subsidiary of Trane Technologies, a company focused on manufacturing HVAC and refrigeration systems. Trane employs more than 29,000 people at 104 manufacturing locations in 28 countries, and has annual sales of more than US$8 billion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SRF Limited</span> Indian manufacturing company

SRF Limited is an Indian multi-business chemicals conglomerate engaged in the manufacturing of industrial and specialty intermediates. The company’s business portfolio covers fluorochemicals, specialty chemicals, packaging films, technical textiles, coated and laminated fabrics. It has a workforce of more than 8,000 employees across eleven manufacturing plants in India Thailand, South Africa and Hungary. The company exports to more than 90 countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hydrofluoroolefin</span> Class of chemical compounds

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.

<i>trans</i>-1,3,3,3-Tetrafluoropropene Chemical compound

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.

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.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "DuPont names seven new DuPont Fellows". DuPont Media Center. July 17, 2014. Archived from the original on July 30, 2018. Retrieved July 30, 2018.
  2. 1 2 "Ask the expert: How many light duty OEs use HFO-1234yf refrigerant?". Vehicle Service Pros. May 15, 2018. Retrieved July 26, 2018.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "SCI Perkin Medal". Science History Institute. Retrieved February 1, 2018.
  4. 1 2 "DuPont engineer earns top honor". The Parkersburg News and Sentinel. July 27, 2014. Retrieved July 30, 2018.
  5. ↑ "Barbara Haviland Minor '81, chemical engineering Keeping Her Cool". Bucknell University. April 2015. Retrieved July 30, 2018.
  6. 1 2 3 "Minor is major influence for DuPont". Cooling Post. July 19, 2014. Retrieved July 30, 2018.
  7. 1 2 3 Salitsky, Cynthia (May 18, 2018). "The Chemours Company's Barbara H. Minor awarded prestigious Perkin medal: Chemical engineer to be honored by the Society of Chemical Industry". The New York Times. Retrieved July 30, 2018.
  8. 1 2 Minor, Barbara; Spatz, Mark (2008). "HFO-1234yf Low GWP Refrigerant Update (Paper 937)". International Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Conference. Retrieved July 31, 2018.
  9. 1 2 3 4 "Recognizing excellence: Development of HFO-1234yf as the next generation refrigerant for the automotive industry" (PDF). 2010 DuPont Excellence Awards sustainable growth. 2010. p. 3. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 11, 2011. Retrieved July 31, 2018.
  10. ↑ "IPCC confirms HFO GWPs are less than 1". Cooling Post. February 3, 2014. Retrieved July 26, 2018.
  11. ↑ Scientific assessment of ozone depletion: 2014 full report. World Meteorological Organization Global Ozone Research and Monitoring Project—Report No. 55. 2014. p. 551.
  12. ↑ "Opteon™ XL10 (R-1234yf) Refrigerant". Chemours. Retrieved July 30, 2018.
  13. ↑ "Honeywell and Chemours Announce New Manufacturing Plants for HFO 1234yf". Aspen Refrigerants. June 12, 2017. Retrieved July 26, 2018.
  14. 1 2 3 "The Chemours Company's Barbara H. Minor awarded prestigious Perkin medal". NASDAQ. May 17, 2018. Retrieved July 30, 2018.
  15. ↑ "Chemours Adds New Low GWP Refrigerants to Range". ACR Journal. April 11, 2016. Retrieved July 30, 2018.
  16. ↑ "Ahold Completes Retrofit of Over 175 Supermarkets to Opteon™ XP40". PRNewsWire. September 27, 2016. Retrieved July 30, 2018.
  17. ↑ Minor, Barbara Haviland; Shah, Sonali; Simoni, Luke (2016). "Testing of HFO Refrigerant with Less Than 150 G WP in a Commercial Freezer (Paper 1729)". International Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Conference. Retrieved July 30, 2018.
  18. ↑ "Spanish store first to test new R404A "drop-in"". Cooling post. October 5, 2014. Retrieved July 30, 2018.
  19. ↑ Minor, Barbara Haviland; Montoya, Carlos; Kasa, Francisco Sandoval (2010). "HFO-1234yf Performance in a beverage cooler (Paper 1116)". International Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Conference. Retrieved July 30, 2018.
  20. 1 2 3 "Refrigerant engineer honoured". Cooling Post. May 17, 2018. Retrieved July 30, 2018.
  21. ↑ "Chemours offers new low GWP blends". Cooling Post. October 11, 2016. Retrieved July 30, 2018.
  22. ↑ "No R22? Are service blends a viable option?". Cooling Post. November 18, 2013. Retrieved July 31, 2018.
  23. ↑ "Q&A Barbara Minor" (PDF). Ecolibrium: The official journal of AIRAH. Vol. 14, no. 7. August 2014. pp. 25–27. Retrieved July 31, 2018.
  24. ↑ "Refrigerant Report 18" (PDF). Bitzer GmbH. December 11, 2014. Retrieved July 31, 2018.
  25. ↑ "R1234yf inventor Barbara H Minor honoured with prestigious Science of Chemical Industry award". VASA. May 24, 2018. Retrieved July 30, 2018.
  26. ↑ "Patents by inventor Barbara Haviland Minor". Justia Patents. Retrieved July 30, 2018.
  27. ↑ "Join the R1234yf elite" (PDF). SightGlass News. April 2015. Retrieved July 30, 2018.
  28. 1 2 3 "Bucknell Engineering Alumni Association Distinguished Engineering Alumni Award 2017". Bucknell University. November 4, 2017. Retrieved July 30, 2018.
  29. ↑ "The Chemours Company's Barbara H. Minor awarded prestigious Perkin Medal". Chemours Investor Relations. May 17, 2018. Retrieved July 25, 2018.
  30. ↑ "SCI Awards Perkin Medal to Chemours' Barbara Minor". Chemical Processing. May 30, 2018. Retrieved July 25, 2018.
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